Fairy Tales Wrapped In A Lie
by vagrantBreath
Summary: Ever since defeating Fibrizo, Lina's dreams sometimes are a little strange. They grow a little stranger each time she uses the Giga Slave... There's no cure for his condition. Zelgadis knows this. But something just doesn't feel right. Something's wrong... Xellos is supposed to watch Lina and her friends. But soon he's finding his loyalties divided, and in unexpected ways...
1. Chapter 1

Notes: Yes, this is a mirror of the version on Archive of Our Own. I was noticing had a bigger Slayers audience, so I decided to start mirroring it here. It's probably going to be updated here when I post the latest updates on AO3 so I don't flood the tag. And with that, enjoy!

* * *

Claws gripped her arm, laughter surrounding her as she was dragged down. Screams escaped her throat without being heard. Eyes around her, flat and cold, inhuman despite the human shape. And an overwhelming darkness edged in red, a red colour that only grew worse and worse, bled through and tried to strangle her-

Gold ribbons spilled out of her mouth, writhing in the air and pushed the red back. But even those wrapped around her, choking her, filling her with light and horrible nothingness as she was pulled down, pulled away-

Lina woke with a sharp inhalation. Slowly, she sat up in the bed, running her hand over her pajamas, feeling the unbroken fabric beneath before pushing the sleeves up. Beautiful, unblemished skin. It had been scratched up a bit during the day - bandits just couldn't hand over their loot without fighting back - but a simple healing spell smoothed over those wounds like they were nothing. No rending wounds in her skin. She touched her mouth, feeling the slightly chapped skin there. Nothing winding its way out of her mouth.

She shuddered. At times, her dreams had been slightly strange, and not in the 'twelve foot tall talking delicious parfait she had to eat before she could get the treasure' way (though that had happened). No… she had faced enough monsters for them to rear their ugly heads in her subconscious. Lina pulled her knees to her chest, resting her cheek against them. She had almost lost enough of her friends for the ending that never was to parade through her sleeping mind.

But this one was different. It wasn't just a memory of someone she went up against and won, or her mind remembering how she almost lost her friends. Lina closed her eyes, trying to understand what she felt. A light, a lack of feeling, of anything-

She opened her eyes.

The answer was just out of her reach.

Which just pissed her off! She was Lina Inverse, sorcery genius. When she didn't understand things, it pissed her off. She needed to understand this. Why was she dreaming of this? What was she dreaming of? Why did it feel so familiar?

"Augh!" Lina kicked off her blankets, standing up to stomp over to the window. It had even been a good day, the bandits landing a few scratches on her notwithstanding. That was some _good_ treasure they had. And the inn they were staying at was famous for their stew. She and Gourry had made sure to test that _thoroughly_ (and also test their desserts. Their chocolate pie was _amazing_ and Gourry was lucky he only got his hand smacked for trying to steal a bite). So an ending like this so such a good day was just… not needed. She just wanted to sleep soundly, maybe have that dream again where she was a princess and some of the more… irritating people she had met were cleaning her floors. Fibrizo on his hands and knees scrubbing her floors never failed to make her wake with a smile on her face.

Maybe it was a warning. Things were about to get interesting again.

"Ugh." Lina leaned against the windowsill, sighing. They had just finished helping Pokota with Taforashia. But it seemed the more she did, the more she got her name out there, the more trouble decided it needed an ass kicking from her. Not that she wouldn't dish it out. Of course she would! She was the beautiful sorcery genius, Lina Inverse! It just… got a little tiring to turn around and have some sort of monster in her face.

The hairs on the back of her neck rose and she turned quickly, almost expecting to see someone there. She didn't know if she wanted to be relieved or disappointed she was alone. But she was, and she went back to the bed, sitting down with a sigh.

She'd feel better once she had breakfast. And tomorrow, she had some stuff to sell too.

Yeah. Tomorrow would be a better day.

* * *

The irritation and suspicion smoothed back into sleep, and Xellos rested his chin in his hand, humming thoughtfully to himself as he sat forward on the tree branch. Lina certainly was an interesting character. He wanted to see her face twist in these emotions, but orders kept him on the outskirts of town. He wasn't to interact with Lina Inverse at this time. And if it changed by any reason, his Mistress told him, he just so happened to be in the same area as Lina Inverse. The fact she could be a very potent focus for chaos and usually lead him to what he was looking for was only a side effect.

But now she was asleep, and it didn't seem she had found anything interesting. None of what she had stolen from the bandits today held anything more than a basic charm. She would be able to sell it for a sizable amount, but nothing more. A sigh escaped his lips. In time, she would find a mess to get into yet again. That was the nature of Lina Inverse, after all.

For right now… Xellos slipped off to the Astral plane. He didn't quite wish to check up on Amelia. The Princess would most likely be acting in her official role at the moment. The Princess of Seyruun didn't exactly engage in the type of chaos Lina did on a regular basis, and Amelia's own purity and love of the world did make him slightly queasy to be around for too long. He could visit Filia, but that would solely be for his own enjoyment. Unless someone purposely went to pull her into a mess they created, she would remain apart from it all.

Which left…

When Xellos reformed on the physical plane, his humanoid projection floated on the grass just in front of a small encampment. He didn't draw closer, not at first. True, the person held within was asleep, but Zelgadis wouldn't remain so for long. The chimera had been traveling long enough not to remain asleep when intruders came near. It would be hazardous to his wallet, and very possibly to his health if the bandits figured out how to harm him. Zelgadis probably saw himself as mostly invulnerable to harm save what the highest of the Mazoku could do… and yet didn't realize he was perhaps one clever bandit away from suffocation, drowning, or perhaps even being cooked alive.

Mm. He wasn't about to tell him. The panic when it happened always was sweeter when it took him by surprise. But when it happened… well, his Mistress hadn't said _not_ to save any of them. Zelgadis could easily find trouble by himself as well. Many forgot his own form came from desire, from greed. To be stronger. Rezo had granted that greed in a way Zelgadis hadn't wished for. The chimera now may be at a loss where to go now, may not realize how to continue on knowing Rezo had created his form without knowledge of how to reverse it, but Xellos had faith that greed would resurface.

And when it did, Xellos would be there.

He had to ensure Zelgadis wouldn't be waking any most uncontrollable monsters, after all.

* * *

Was he being watched?

Zelgadis's consciousness floated to a slight wakefulness, and he slit his eyes open, his hand automatically reaching for his sword before he registered what was around him.

No. Nothing.

His mind drifted back to sleep, a horribly familiar, horribly _irritating_ giggle easing him into dreamland.


	2. Chapter 2

With a crystalline screech that pierced Zelgadis straight to his soul, the spider fell still, skewered on his sword. To any who would be watching, the arachnid the size of the chimera fighting him seemed to be quite dead. Instead of yanking his weapon free, Zelgadis narrowed his eyes and widened the rend in the dark green carapace. Black blood ran free, and he aimed a Flare Arrow straight into the wound.

The spider howled, the sound of several bells clanging in dissonant harmony. Zelgadis winced and stumbled back at the noise, his back hitting the half destroyed wall of the ruin. A mistake - the spider pulled itself free from his sword and limped away, skittering on five uneven legs into the darkness, deeper into the depths. Zelgadis snarled and followed, keeping an eye on the shimmer of dark green and the black oozing blood. The blood started to taper off, making Zelgadis's teeth grit. It was healing. Quickly, he drew one hand back, letting another Flare Arrow grow in it before launching it at the hint of green in the darkness.

Direct hit. The spider howled again, and the air filled with the scent of it burning. For a moment, Zelgadis found himself wishing he had Lina with him. Fire magic seemed to be the way to go with this thing, and she had a way with fire magic. It didn't matter, though. He was about to take it down for good.

He needed something stronger than a Flare Arrow. He could cast Val Flare, but the damned spider was leading him further and further inside. Doing that would be a bad idea in an enclosed area. He could-

Another skitter behind him made him pause, his blood running cold. When he had expressed interest in exploring these ruins, the village elder had explained about the spider, and had offered a reward if he did encounter it and managed to kill it. But he hadn't said there was more than-

Zelgadis spun around, his hands already moving to cast Flare Arrow.

Another spider, twice the size of the one he was hunting, landed on him, knocking him to the ground. Zelgadis just barely managed to get his sword between him and the chelicerae. Digestive liquids splashed around him, forcing him to scramble backwards to get to his feet. He had to kill this thing, and fast. Straining his ears, a chill ran through him as he heard more skittering, the sound of dozens more of these spiders.

Had he been tasked to clear out a nest, or led there to be fed to the monsters?

Zelgadis flexed his hand, mentally running through his spell list. Fire seemed to be the enemy of these spiders. But he was so far into the ruins now that he had to be careful. His stone skin would protect him from burns, but anything too powerful could bring the ruins down on his head.

Skittering behind him made him turn, knowing he would be too late as he did so, a Flare Arrow already in his hands.

Only for the spider behind him to stop suddenly, and steam to escape from its carapace. Suddenly, the pressure building inside it caused it to explode, covering Zelgadis in thoroughly cooked guts. Around him, one after another, every single spider met the same fate.

"Oh my, my." Zelgadis spun suddenly at the irritating words, still holding the Flare Arrow, even though he knew it would do nothing against a Mazoku like Xellos. "You certainly do get into some interesting predicaments!" As he spoke, Xellos dropped down next to Zelgadis, his feet not bothering to touch the gore strewn ground as he smiled at the chimera. "So tell me, Zelgadis-san, what are you looking for here, in the Ruins of Amtolae?"

Zelgadis let the Flare Arrow die in his hand. "What do you think?"

"Mm." Xellos tilted his head upward, almost innocently scratching his chin. "I suppose such a ruin from a culture well versed in White magic would have some information on obscure cures. If a cure for your condition actually did exist."

The words stung. He knew Xellos had to have heard Rezo tell him no cure existed for his chimeric state. "I'm not looking for a cure," he told him, trying to hold onto some dignity despite being covered in spider guts. He sheathed his sword and started to pick his way through the carnage, trying not to slip on anything as he made his way through the halls of the ruins. It disturbed him at the fact he still saw spider remains as he walked, no matter how far he went. "I'm looking for research."

Xellos floated next to him, not even getting the tips of his shoes or the edges of his cape dirty. "Oh? What kind of research?"

"Is Lina asleep? Is that why you're bothering me? You can't annoy Lina, so you've come to play with your second favourite toy?"

"Second favourite?" Xellos tilted his head. "My, you think highly of yourself, Zelgadis-san!"

Zelgadis grabbed Xellos by the collar, pulling him in close. "What are you doing here?" he growled, almost shaking him.

With a sigh, Xellos let the ever present smile drop from his face. "Well, in a lot of ways, that is a secret! But I really am interested in what kind of research you're doing."

"So you can destroy it before my eyes?"

"If I need to."

The words made Zelgadis let go of Xellos slowly, something horrible uncurling in the pit of his stomach. Xellos looked down at the smear of gore against his shirt, sighed, and within an eyeblink the shirt was pristine again. "Is there something like that in these ruins?" Zelgadis asked, his voice tightly controlled.

Xellos paused for a moment, turning his head away as if he was thinking. Then he looked back at Zelgadis, the smile back on his face. "Nope!"

"Then you can go away."

"Well, see, I can't exactly do that right now, Zelgadis-san."

Zelgadis spun towards him, intent on grabbing him again when his foot slipped on the ground. He hit the floor hard, his head buried in spider guts. Disgust, horror, nausea, and embarrassment flooded through him all at once as he scrambled back up to his feet, wiping the filth off his face and hair.

"You see!" Xellos only smiled at him. "You're only going to hurt yourself if you keep up like this, Zelgadis-san."

"Don't you even deny you enjoyed that!"

Xellos only smiled.

* * *

The Ruins of Amtolae were benign. Anything of magical value had long been stolen or destroyed. Zelgadis might have found information to further his knowledge of Shamanistic spells in what remained, but even those odds were high. All that remained was human history and possibly things of monetary value.

But right now, he had to make sure Zelgadis didn't research himself into a new Rezo. While his Mistress didn't fear Zelgadis awakening the Ruby Eyed Shabranigdo incorrectly with his research, there were other things he could awaken that would cause all sorts of problems for them. And he had to be there to stop whatever attempts there would be.

What would Zelgadis be researching? The Red Priest himself had said there was no cure to his condition. Xellos could think of ways to split the brau demon and golem parts from the human, but naturally none of those ideas were _cures_ , only ways to destroy Zelgadis utterly. So what could it be that he was looking for?

Whatever it was, he didn't find it in the ruins of Amtolae. Xellos did find what seemed to be a rather delightful pudding recipe. He'd have to slip that into Zelgadis's pack for him to see at a later date. To have the hope rise that something useful had been in his notes and he hadn't remembered it… only for it to be a delicious pudding recipe.

Oh, he would have to be there when Zelgadis found that.

Hm. Interesting.

Did Zelgadis remember to pack any food at all?


	3. Chapter 3

Lina grinned, shouldering the now very full pack. "I didn't think I would find actual sapphires here. Not to mention ones with such a wide range of colours!"

Panting, Gourry glared up at her as she walked down from the dais. "Hey, Lina, next time, could you use your magic to help me? Those golem things were really hard."

"Well…" Lina shook her head, her face turning serious. "I wouldn't be able to help you until you shattered the seal on their forehead. It was an anti-magic ward. Any magic that got close would fail. And once you shattered the seal, the golem itself should have been dead anyway."

Gourry sighed, sheathing his sword. "I guess. Are you okay? I know you were thrown into that wall pretty hard." He reached up, his hand hovering over her head.

She scowled, but didn't move as he ran rough fingers over her head. "I'm fine. It's going to take a lot more than a little bump to get me."

"Yeah, but… maybe you should see the healing woman when we get back to town." Worry crossed his face as he looked down at her. "Your eyes look a little weird."

Lina let her scowl deepen. "What does that mean?"

"Aah-" Gourry lifted both hands, laughing nervously. "I mean, it doesn't look like you're focusing on things right."

A Gourry way of saying she might have a concussion. Lina sighed, shifting the pack and feeling how it rested against developing bruises. "Fine. I'll talk to the healing woman when we get back to town." Even if she didn't have a concussion, it wasn't a bad idea. "If!"

"If?" The word came out slightly suspicious, but still on the right side of innocent.

"You also get checked out."

Gourry blanched. The healing woman had met up with them before they left town, and made it very obvious she found Gourry very attractive. She had also been the town's healing woman for the past sixty years. "Lina!"

"You took more hits than I did. Need to make sure that jellyfish up there is still working right."

"You're mean." He sighed. "Fine."

"That settles it. Let's go!" Lina grinned and started to walk. A concussion would be worth it all. These sapphires would go for a lot, and she was certain at least a third of them could have some good enchantments put on them. The colour was amazing, and they were so _clear_.

But… Lina found her steps slowing. The golems that had protected the sapphires. It was obvious she had disturbed something that ancient people wanted to keep protected. Carefully, she shifted the pack, hearing the stones click. They were good sapphires. But she hadn't found them in any sort of pattern. Not- a pattern she could discern, anyway. Her eyes tilted over to the walls, seeing blank stone as they walked.

She stopped.

Gourry pulled his sword as her steps stilled. Either his jellyfish brain figured it out too, or his gut instinct told him something wasn't right. Lina turned slightly, looking behind them.

And sighed as nothing came out of the darkness after them. "And here I got worked up over nothing," she grumbled, turning back around.

The ceiling cracked and collapsed. Gourry ran to Lina, using his body to shield her as the stone rained down around them. Against the ground, blue lines tumbled forth, running for them.

"Hnng!" Lina slammed a hand against the ground. "Dill Brand!"

She timed it right. The ground exploded just as the lines hit it, disrupting the spell for a moment. She grabbed Gourry's hand, yanking him up. With the ceiling gone, they could Raywing out of there easily. And then she could see what she was dealing with.

But sunlight streamed in, hitting her eyes and-

Lina nearly screamed in pain. Her head…

Something choked her. Held her tightly. She held up a hand, ready to cast a fucking Dragon Slave blind if she had to when her mind cleared and-

Gold. Everywhere. Gold…

Lina fainted.

* * *

Warmth brought her back around. Lina groaned as something warm and damp patted its way across her head, and slowly opened her eyes.

They were back at town. Back at… Nostos, wasn't it? The wizened healing woman pulled the cloth away from her head and smiled at Lina. "Welcome back to the world of the living, little one," she said kindly. "You've been asleep for two days."

"Sorry to put you out for two days," Lina told her, smiling weakly. She shouldn't have been put out at all. She and Gourry- "Gourry!" Lina sat up, wincing at the lance of pain in her head as she did so.

With a tut, the healing woman pressed a hand against her shoulder, guiding her back down. "Your bodyguard is fine. He was more worried about you. What were you doing that caused your head to be bruised so badly, little one?"

Lina looked away. "Just… looking for some treasure."

The healing woman shook her head. "To be young again. Well, next time you go treasure hunting, little one, be a little more mindful of where you stick your head." She reached over, taking a mug Lina hadn't seen previously and helping Lina sit up so she could drink from it. "It's not going to taste good," she said just as Lina took a sip. Lina just barely kept from spitting the fowl liquid back out. "But it'll help with the pain while you heal."

"What about a Recovery?" Lina asked, taking another sip.

"If I wasted all my magic on you, what would happen if the men working in the nearby mines were caught in a cave in and needed my help? You'll heal without a spell."

Lina made a face. But she was right. The healing woman probably had needed to save the lives of the miners more than once, and she knew what would absolutely require magic, and what would be healed through time and patience.

Patience. Ugh.

"Thank you," Lina said instead. "Gourry should be able to pay you-"

"Oh, yes." The woman's eyes twinkled a little, and Lina found jealousy rising. "Payment's already taken care of."

It was probably innocent, but Lina wanted to smack Gourry right about now anyway. The healing woman left, letting Lina stew in those thoughts as she sipped at the nasty tasting brew. When Gourry finally came in, looking rather exhausted, Lina sighed. "So. I hear you took care of payment."

Gourry shuddered. "Never leave me alone with her again."

"Noted." She looked out the window, her fingers wrapped tightly around the mug. This wasn't like her. She could get out of anything. Nothing could take her and Gourry down.

"Hey, Lina… what was that spell you used?"

She blinked, looking back at Gourry. "Hm? What do you mean?"

"Well…" Gourry rubbed the back of his head. "You just… kind of threw a black ball of something at what was trying to get us and it stopped. Like, completely. And then you fainted. Did you find a new spell while you were getting the sapphires?"

Lina blinked, a chill running down her spine. "I guess I was casting spells even when I wasn't aware of what was going on because we were in danger. I don't know. Can you tell me more?"

"Um…" Gourry frowned, hand to his chin as he thought.

"Nevermind." Gourry wouldn't even know what to tell a sorceress about a spell she didn't even know she cast. "We'll sell the sapphires and move on, okay?"

"When you get better." Gourry's face fell into resolute lines.

"Fine." Lina smiled a little. Then she looked away, out the window, to the street.

Spellcasting without realizing it. Unconscious spellcasting. If that's what she did… and she used a spell that she didn't know consciously… Her eyes narrowed.

It didn't bode well.


	4. Chapter 4

Mazoku Lords forging alliances always boded poorly. Xellos stood slightly behind his Mistress as she finished speaking with Deep Sea Dolphin, watching her, her general, and her priest. Huraker seemed to be studying him as well, while Riksfalto looked bored. When the three finally left, his Mistress turned to him. "What do you think, Xellos?"

"There's no doubting Lina Inverse used a very powerful unknown spell," he said thoughtfully. "But considering she's created a spell over the course of her lifetime calling upon the Golden Lord, I wonder if she created another one."

"Yes, the Giga Slave…" Within a breath, both of them were back on Wolf Pack Island, among allies. "If she is using the Golden Lord's power so freely, she needs to be watched. She successfully called the Golden Lord into our world once. I would rather not have Her eye on our world a second time."

Xellos couldn't help but agree. Just being in the presence of the Golden Lord once had seized him to his core. Mazoku would call Her one of their own, but only viewing Her through the shell of Lina Inverse had told Xellos She was beyond such petty labeling. Having Her filling Lina Inverse again, and perhaps truly scattering the sorceress to the farthest reaches of the Sea of Chaos this time, would not be ideal. Not only would Lina be lost, but he doubted She would spare their world twice. "What are your orders, my Mistress?"

"Continue watching her. If she casts the Giga Slave again, or it appears what new spell she's created will have the same effects, destroy her."

Well then. Xellos bowed. "As you wish."

He rather enjoyed Lina. It would be a waste to see her destroyed. But if she looked to be calling the Golden Lord back into their world… Well, they did have good times together. He would fondly remember them after he disposed of her body.

"As for her companions…" His Mistress paused for a moment. "The only one I'm still worried about is the chimera. How many manuscripts have you destroyed that he found?"

"Six in the last month."

"Keep an eye on him to make sure he won't wake anyone improperly."

He bowed again. That, he would do with far more enjoyment. "As you wish."

* * *

Zelgadis picked a book off the table and brushed the dust off the cover. No writing on the cover, nothing to tell him what it was. With luck, it would be the old sorcerer's diary he was looking for in this forgotten tower. And Xellos wouldn't be turning into ash in his hands again. Rage filled him at the thought, and he just barely kept from throwing the book across the room.

There might not be a 'cure' in the way he had thought of it, but… Rezo never said it couldn't be _undone._ If he studied chimera research, he could see how people created them in the first place. He could find _Rezo's_ research, and see what it was exactly Rezo did to him. And once he knew, well, his knowledge of magical theory was pretty good. Failing that, he could find the nearest bandit gang and wait for Lina. But he could find ways to undo what Rezo did from the inside out instead of hoping something would cure him if he rubbed himself on it.

So he started reading, settling himself into an old dusty armchair.

Halfway through, his mind started to wander. While the magical theory written in the pages was amazing, it was so _dry_ and not what he was looking for. He'd be able to sell it for a decent price to the nearest guild, but so far it didn't have any information that would help him. It looked like he'd need to search out Rezo's research.

Rezo. Zelgadis put the book down, sighing. When Rezo had taken him in after his parents died, he had felt irresistibly drawn to the priest. He could tell he wasn't the only one; Rodimus and Zolf had both been with Rezo before he took Zelgadis in. The Red Priest had that kind of aura. He drew all to him with his kind and gentle demeanour, healing the sick and gaining the trust of all around him. And even when he learned the truth to why Rezo transformed him… he couldn't simply leave Rezo. It took Lina Inverse to finally give him a reason to break free. Lina, and the Philosopher's Stone she unwittingly carried.

But even when Rezo's spirit had told him there was no cure… despite having broken all ties by helping Lina kill him, kill Shabranigdo, he couldn't destroy the Hellmaster's Jar. He couldn't consign him to oblivion.

And then after his rebirth into Pokota's human body… how easily he fell right back into the old habits…

He wondered if he would be able to read Rezo's research, or he would try to burn it all immediately.

Zelgadis closed his eyes at the thought. It deserved to be burned. It had been what turned him into a chimera in the first place. But maybe, if he fit what Rezo had done into various other magical theories, he could-

This time, he did hurl the book across the room. There was no cure. Why was he trying? Why wasn't he letting himself accept this simple fact?! Zelgadis looked down at his hands, then clenched them. He couldn't give it up, though. Not until it killed him.

Nodding to himself, he stood to retrieve the book.

Then stopped, looking over at another book.

Strange. This one radiated magical energy. Zelgadis picked it up, feeling the energy shiver up his arms. He studied it for a moment, then looked around. Xellos hadn't shown up yet, but that damned Mazoku would wait until he would be hopeful that there was something in the pages for him before he destroyed it. Slowly, he opened the book.

The pages were empty. Zelgadis flipped through them, running his finger along the blank pages, trying to see if the energy attached was a privacy spell to dissolve. If it was, he couldn't tell. With a sigh, he shut the book, keeping it in one hand as he snagged the one he had tossed across the room before heading for his pack. Absently, he rummaged through the pack, feeling a little hungry.

… had he forgotten food? And water? Zelgadis frowned. The last town he had been in had been a week away. And he just _now_ realized he didn't have food and water? How had he survived without food and water for that long?

No, he had to have caught food and drank from clean springs along the way. There was no way he'd go that long without food and water. He just didn't remember because it was so commonplace.

But now he _had_ to find food because he was starving. There was a stream nearby. He could do what Lina did that one time and fish. He wouldn't empty the stream like she had, but a few fish here and there would keep him going. Zelgadis packed the books away and started to make his way out, almost desperate for food.

Maybe he should Raywing back to the nearest town. This was becoming uncomfortable…


	5. Chapter 5

Suds rose as Lina relaxed into the bathtub, sighing. What a day. She lifted one hand and stared at it, remembering how many Fireballs she had drawn to her hand and thrown. Good thing she was the great and beautiful sorcery genius Lina Inverse. That would have exhausted her otherwise.

Speaking of exhausted… she made a face. Hopefully Gourry was actually washing up as well and didn't just pass out on his bed. He wasn't a slob like that, but today had been that kind of day. Lina honestly wanted to just crawl under the covers and sleep as well, but she knew she wouldn't be able to until she got clean. She lowered her hand, and shifted slightly against the tub. Hot water felt so good…

"You look rather comfortable, Lina-san."

Instantly, Lina sat up, water cascading over the sides of the tub as she glared up at a familiar Mazoku priest. "Xellos! What are you doing here?" He didn't just _appear_ for no good reason. He was after something. She glared at him, waiting for an answer.

That damn smile just remained fixed on his face as Xellos said, "Am I not allowed to visit friends?"

Suddenly remembering her state of dress, Lina wrapped her arms around her chest, thankful for the mound of bubbles. "Do so when I'm not naked! Or do you want to be Fireballed all the way back to Wolf Pack Island?"

"I suppose not." Lina watched as he turned his back, letting out a long breath. He must have understood- wait, what was he doing? That was her pack of loot!

"Hey!" She instinctively made to stand and protect her goods, but the rush of the water around her reminded her of her state of dress. Did she get out and chase Xellos away from her stuff, butt naked… or did she keep some semblance of dignity during this entire- no, she was getting out and rushing for him. That was her gold, damn it!

Xellos only disappeared as soon as she came near. With sharp, fierce motions, she grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her body. Lina turned around slowly, knowing she'd have to fire at him something a little more aimed at the Astral plane to hit him. She held her free hand out, ready to throw at him an Elmekia Lance for taking her stuff while she was bathing.

But Xellos didn't return, and Lina huffed. She turned back to the tub, and glared at it. The mood was ruined. She wasn't going to be able to relax after that.

What did Xellos steal, anyway? Lina picked up her pack, looking through it. It wasn't her actual gold. The gems were left untouched. That statuette was left alone too, which relieved her in many ways. The last time she had something like that, it ended up housing the Philosopher's Stone. So what was it?

… what happened to that stupid little trinket she had bought in Aldahi? That dumb little smiling sun?

Lina groaned suddenly, holding her hand to her head. "What did I buy?"

Xellos didn't reappear, so she supposed she should be thankful. Or pissed. That damned thing probably held a secret to defeating Mazoku and he just took it from her so she wouldn't figure it out. Or maybe he was just messing with her and he was having the feast of his life with all the frustration and anger she was putting out.

Whatever. Next time she saw Xellos, she'd Fireball him on sight. No questions asked.

He'd understand why.

Instead, she finished up, drained the tub, and pulled on her pajamas, laying down in the bed. What a day. She looked at her hand, stretching it up to the ceiling.

Gold. Blinding her, keeping her near, nothingness, emptiness-

Lina gasped, clenching her fist. That damned dream. It even snuck into her waking moments. She sat up, panting slightly. What was the gold? Why did she feel that way when-

… no, she knew that feeling. The last time she had used the Giga Slave, it had touched her. She had forgotten. Lina shivered. So was that it? She was remembering touching the Lord of Nightmares?

She shivered again, pulling her knees to her chest. And either Xellos had been messing with her and wanting to see her angry, or he had taken something from her. That could be good - that trinket was going to wake something up that even the Mazoku didn't want awake - or bad because it was something the Mazoku shouldn't have and now Xellos had it.

Damn it.

* * *

"Lina!" Gourry waved as she came down the stairs, already sitting at a table. "I ordered us breakfast."

"Triple portions on the sausage?"

Gourry nodded, smiling.

"Good. I knew I kept you around for some reason," she teased, sitting down.

He only laughed at that, knowing she was teasing. The food came, and the two of them instantly worked on destroying the immense spread of food set on their table. A little war over the last sausage, because Lina was not going to lose over something as silly as this, but soon enough they were done and Lina sat back, sighing happily.

"Hey, Lina, don't take this the wrong way, but… should I be taking lead these next few days?"

"Hm?" Lina looked at Gourry, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well…" Gourry looked up slightly as he counted on his fingers. "I mean, you haven't lost your powers to That Time of The Month since we left Taforashia, but it has to happen, right? It'd usually be around this time. I figured it would happening again soon."

Lina felt her hand rising to smack Gourry about talking so openly and loudly about her _period_ in public when she realized what he just said. She lowered her hand, feeling her face drain of blood. She and Gourry- Lina _liked_ Gourry. A lot. Maybe really a lot. But they had never been- she was still a virgin! What other reasons could she have stopped having her period other than getting pregnant, though? What would have stopped that monthly cycle?

"Hey, Lina." Gourry waved a hand in front of her face. "Something wrong?"

She shook her head. "I don't know."

She needed to see the town's doctor before they left. Just… to rule out any physical reasons she might not be having her period. How could she have not noticed? Or had she just been so happy to continue adventuring without losing any power that she didn't care?

… had Xellos taken the thing that had interfered with it? Aldahi had been after they helped Pokota, but it still could have been before she was due her next period.

Damn it. Now she wished she had stopped Xellos and asked what was going on.

* * *

Xellos dropped the stupid smiling sun trinket into the nearest river. He watched it drift away, frowning.

Lina stank of Chaos magic. The same magic she would use when casting the Ragna Blade, or what he had seen when she cast the Giga Slave. There was no doubt she had used the Golden Lord's power, and recently.

But she didn't use it against him, so either she didn't feel it was necessary against him, or…

No. Lina knew how to control her own magical power. She would never cast a spell without realizing she had.

Xellos phased out of the physical realm.


	6. Chapter 6

Zelgadis had never been so hungry in his entire _life_. Not before he was turned into a chimera, when he would work for Rezo. Not right after, when the transformation had taken so much of his energy. Not even after he had overexerted himself, or nearly died. But now he was verging on rivaling Lina's appetite, plates building higher and higher as he tried to fill that gaping void in his belly. People were looking at him curiously, seeing the shaman robes but not his face, the hood still up as he ate, using the pillar of plates to shield himself.

Good thing he didn't use a lot of his money, Zelgadis thought as he sat back, still hungry but unable to stomach another bite. If he had needed to purchase more for himself, he wouldn't have been able to pay for this. He dropped a few coins on the table and started for his room. Maybe if he rested he'd feel better in the morning.

As Zelgadis pushed his hood back, he looked over at his pack. He had eventually left behind the old sorcerer's writings, but the strange blank book with the magical protection on it had to come with him. The protection, he kept trying to undo or see what he could do to reveal what it said. He fished it out of his bag, sitting down on the bed as he opened it.

Still blank. He pressed a finger on the page, feeling the spell pulse. It was almost… warm. Alive. The spark shivered across his skin, making it feel like it hadn't since he transformed. The spark almost traveled across his entire body, lighting it up. It made his stomach growl louder, needy.

Was it taking his energy as he touched it? But no matter what he thought, he couldn't put the book down. He kept trying to figure out was the spell was, trying to unravel it so he could see what it was hiding.

The book… just drew him in. He had to-

Zelgadis paused, tilting his eyes away from the book to look at the floor. It drew him in, like how meeting Rezo had pulled him in. Why? Why did it-

Suddenly, the book burst into red and black flames, disintegrating in a breath. Zelgadis stood, his hands already shifting to cast a spell.

Before he knew it, he had a hand on his throat, and a body behind him. He swallowed, feeling the way the stone skin flexed under the hand. His skin wasn't completely rigid, allowing for him to breathe and move. While he knew he couldn't be choked, not by normal people… he knew who held him as a staff pressed into his cheek. "Xellos," he managed.

"And what were you doing with a book of Lei Magnus's writings?" Xellos whispered against his ear, making him shudder.

"It- it was blank," Zelgadis managed, feeling the shift and press of Xellos's true form beating against his skin, unable to do anything as it overwhelmed him, ran through him, paralysed him. "I thought-"

"It would give you your cure, Zelgadis-san? That the writings of a Shard of Shabranigdo would include something to change you back to human?"

"I didn't know it was-" L-sama, why did feeling Xellos against him almost feel _good_? His eyes started to roll backwards as shouting started under them. A fight, he noticed dimly. The sound itself joined Xellos's touch, keeping him still. And he could almost feel the press of emotion around him, spiraling higher and higher- He moaned softly, unable to keep the sound behind his lips.

Xellos's hand shifted slightly. "Oh, Zelgadis-san… you should have mentioned earlier you were interested in this," he purred against the pointed ear.

"Stop-" Zelgadis trembled, feeling something fill inside him as the shouting turned into crashes, the fight turning brutal under their feet. He couldn't handle it. Not the feeling of Xellos against him, the fake physical body and the too powerful true form hidden underneath pulsing around him, and the emotion in the air, the way it filled him, made him-

Suddenly, Xellos's hand turned lax, not trying to keep him pinned any longer. Instead, it lowered, drifting across his chest, the touch almost painful through his clothing. It was too much.

The fight suddenly quieted, as if the perpetrators had been kicked out, and the air cleared around Zelgadis. He took a deep breath, his hands shifting to cast a spell behind him.

Xellos let him go, and when Zelgadis turned, in the brief moment before the Mazoku priest disappeared, he almost could see… worry. But that couldn't be. Xellos didn't worry-

With a helpless breath, Zelgadis dropped to his knees, legs unable to keep his weight any longer. He was so _aroused_ that he could barely breathe. And from Xellos holding him threateningly? He didn't want anything to do with him. Why would he find himself aroused by that? It wasn't that he was completely unable to understand the sexual beauty of men - though he did prefer women, his first kiss had been with a boy they had helped and it had lit his world up as much as the first kiss with a girl he had a crush on before they had moved on to another town to help. But to have his body react to _Xellos_ , when it hadn't ever before, and on top of that, the way the air shivered with the emotion of the fight beneath them…

Zelgadis barely noticed that he finally felt full as he curled slightly, one hand on the floor, trying to ignore the pulse of need inside him before finally lifting his shirt and sliding his hand below the top of his pants to grip himself firmly, stroking in rapid pulls until the knot in his stomach uncurled and pleasure burst across his senses.

* * *

That wasn't normal. _That_ was not normal, the way Zelgadis reacted.

It was not normal how Xellos started to react to Zelgadis's voice, feeling drawn closer to helping him, to listening to exactly what he had to say-

Zelgadis hadn't cast a spell, and there hadn't been one in the air when he entered the room. Only the horrible pulse of Mazoku magic in the chimera's hands. For a moment, while he watched, mostly in the Astral plane, he had thought that Zelgadis had been searching in black magic tomes now, almost amused that perhaps he was researching how the Mazoku could help him. They couldn't, not the way he thought. If he had tried to bargain with one, he would have had a rude awakening as to what would happen to him.

But instead, when he looked closer, reading over his shoulder, he had seen writing that apparently Zelgadis couldn't see. Lei Magnus's writings, from when he had almost awakened Shabranigdo. And the way the magical energy had entered Zelgadis-

He didn't know what it had done to Zelgadis, but it had done something.

Something… that perhaps he needed to tell the Greater Beast about.

But when he set foot on Wolf Pack Island, he felt his voice paralysed. He couldn't-

He almost felt a geas keeping him from speaking the truth to his Mistress.


	7. Chapter 7

Lina's back hit the tree and she let out a pained grunt as she lifted her arm, jamming it up under the snarling beast's chin. Her other hand cupped growing magic, and she jammed it right into its belly. "Fireball!"

The beast's fur lit on fire, the Fireball bursting through its back and coating it in the flames. But it continued to snarl at him, snapping. Lina's eyes narrowed and her teeth grit as she moved her hand again as the beast drew back, crouching for another pounce.

She didn't let it.

One finger pointed at the beast, a growing ball of black and gold building at the fingertip. She had just thought up the theory behind this spell, but she hadn't used it in practice. If she did it right, though… "Fien Shot!"

The force of the spell shot her hand straight upward once it left her finger. She lowered it again, steadying her arm with her opposite hand, waiting as she watched the spell hit the beast. When it only stunned it for a second, she grit her teeth again. That wasn't the intended effect. But what she was using to kill this seemingly unkillable beast- She could use a Dragon Slave, but that would blow everything up and she wasn't done, damn it. There was a bandit lair just up ahead. If she used a Dragon Slave, it would blow them up too and all that loot they had. Astral spells didn't work. Then again, she had never bothered to study the Ra Tilt, letting that be Amelia and Zelgadis's spell.

Boy, was she feeling that lack of knowledge now. She'd need to brush up on her astral spells. Elmekia Flame just wasn't enough. The Ragna Blade would definitely take this asshole out, but she couldn't take the time to chant it while Gourry was busy with a beast of his own.

What were these things? If they had the Sword of Light, they could easily take them down. Or… theoretically. There was a possibility even that wouldn't work. She didn't _think_ they were Mazoku since they acted and reacted only like mindless beasts, but it was possible they were.

So, no Dragon Slave because she wanted the gold. No Ragna Blade, because she didn't have the time to chant it. She'd have to fine tune her new Fien Shot on the fly, calling further upon the power she only touched when things got _really_ bad… Lina took a deep breath, the new ball at her fingertips coloured far more golden than the last time. Chaos magic sparked at her fingers as she aimed the ball. "Fien Shot!"

Her arm didn't fly upward like last time, thanks to how her other hand stablised it. And this time, when the Fien Shot hit, the beast howled before disintegrating. "All right!" Lina crowed, turning her attention to where Gourry was fighting. "Gourry, duck!"

The Fien Shot flew over Gourry's head just as he ducked, hitting the beast. With the same howl, the beast turned to dust as Gourry turned to look at her, eyes wide. "Wow, Lina! When'd you learn to do that?"

Lina grinned. Finally, a Chaos spell she could just fire off without chanting. She certainly could chant and make the spell stronger, but having a spell she could cast as fast as a Fireball… that was nice. "Oh, just something I made up." She took one step towards Gourry-

And fell right over, her stomach protesting very loudly.

"Whoa!" Gourry ran over to her, one hand on her shoulder as she sat up. "Are you okay, Lina?"

"Yeah… I think I just overextended myself a little." She tried grinning at Gourry again, then let it fall as the worry didn't smooth from his face. "I'm fine. Besides, we have bandits to take out! We haven't seen a gang this good for a while."

Gourry shook his head. "We can come back. You need to rest."

"Gourry!"

"What if they have a sorcerer too, Lina?" His eyes grew wide. "Some of them have one because of you!"

She waved a hand. "I can take out any third rate sorcerer, easy."

"Yeah, but I don't want to risk it." Suddenly, the weight on her shoulder meant more as Gourry's eyes softened. "You could get really hurt."

Lina felt a blush crawl across her face. "Fine," she managed. "But we're not going far." She shrugged off Gourry's hand and stood carefully. When she remained upright, she nodded at Gourry.

The Fien Shot… it was going to be useful, but it drained her magic faster than she realized. Normally, she'd be able to gauge it better, but… She'd have to pull that out only when she needed it. If she could shove a Ragna Blade up their ass instead, she'd have to go with that. She was much more familiar with how to use the Ragna Blade and mitigate the power drain from that.

… huh. That was a thought. She used her Demon Blood Talismans so she could cast the Ragna Blade. Maybe if she did the same with the Fien Shot? No, she had created it solely for its fast casting time. Boosting it would only take time she wouldn't have.

The Lord of Nightmares' power was far more impressive than she realized, and she could fine tune it more than she originally thought. Maybe, someday, she'd be able to do something even smaller and not get wiped out like this.

Lina sighed as she sat next to a stream, closing her eyes as Gourry prepared for fishing.

Gold-

 _Everywhere._

It wanted her-

Lina gasped, opening her eyes. She must have been asleep. The sun was about ready to set, and Gourry was cooking the fish he had caught. It was probably enough… for her. She didn't know if it'd be enough for the both of them.

"You okay, Lina? You sounded like you were in pain." Gourry looked up at her.

"Mm, just a bad dream." She scooted closer to the fire, holding a hand out. "Fish."

"Would it kill you to say 'please' for once?" Gourry pleaded, but handed her a cooked fish.

Any response to that was lost as she bit into the fish.

And that night, as Lina fell asleep, the sea of gold returned to her dreams.


	8. Chapter 8

The inn was very loud and annoying with its overly happy celebrating. It made Xellos feel ill as the bride and groom kissed yet again, and the party cheered. If his quarry hadn't been in this inn, he wouldn't have bothered with it. As it was… he tilted his head upward, feeling the presence of someone very familiar sitting down and his excited emotions smoothing into concentration. Zelgadis certainly was a very unique presence in the Astral plane. Even before he had truly seen the chimera, he knew this mortal was special.

Now Zelgadis had to be reading, which meant it was time for him to see what he was reading about. After seeing him with Lei Magnus's writings… would he be looking into the Mazoku more? Xellos wanted to see what would happen if he did want to use the Mazoku to try to find a cure that didn't exist. He had a feeling that Zelgadis wouldn't contact him for it; they had too much negative history. But he _would_ happily insinuate that perhaps the Greater Beast could help…

Absently, he stood, making a gesture towards the happy bride and groom much like a human priest would give a benediction. As he did, the revelers hoisted the two up on chairs… which immediately broke under them, their integrity weakened by Xellos's spell. The sudden panic welling up inside the newly wedded at the supposed bad luck they had just incurred made him smile as he made his way up the stairs.

Mortals were peculiar creatures. On its own, chairs breaking during a reception was harmless. Annoying, since that was money they would have to spend to fix it, but harmless. But mortals' beliefs could bring things that didn't exist into being - Martina was perfect example of that. A Mazoku that didn't exist, and yet her curses worked because of her faith in a imaginary Mazoku. It turned a harmless breaking of furniture into an actual curse of bad luck, as they believed it so much to be true. Perhaps it was. Perhaps it was only confirmation bias, as they took that 'bad luck' as any reason their life turned poor or the marriage fell apart instead of any other reason. But it was always amusing to play on those beliefs, and the emotions that welled up after always tasted so sweet.

Which, speaking of emotions- Zelgadis rapidly was turning bored as he stood outside of the door. The book must be useless to him, then. Not that Xellos had nothing to worry about; things that would seem useless to the chimera sometimes held dangerous secrets to destroy the Mazoku. If Zelgadis realized what he had, or gave it to Lina, who would definitely know…

So instead, Xellos phased out of the physical realm to spy on what Zelgadis was reading.

Oh. He knew this one. The magician had been loony and maybe got one thing right. Why would you use fire magic to cure a _headache_?

Zelgadis tensed as Xellos read over his shoulder, intangible. It was obvious the chimera had gotten the feeling he wasn't alone. Zelgadis stood, casting his eyes around as his free hand twitched, readying a spell.

Oh, those were sweet emotions too. Paranoia, anger… yes, he remembered why he would occasionally travel with Lina and her friends. They _felt_ so keenly and deeply. But Zelgadis had nothing of value at the moment, so it was time to return to Wolf Pack Island and report.

But this time…

It felt like there was a barrier around the Greater Beast's home. The first time he had tried to step out onto familiar territory, he had felt almost violently rejected by the land. He tried again, managing to step onto the furthest outskirts.

Was the Greater Beast angry? Or perhaps building up her defences… Dynast had been too quiet lately. And he did remember hearing one of the Greater Beast's lesser Mazoku say they had seen Deep Sea Dolphin with him…

A thought rose in the back of his mind that it was worse than that, and he needed to pay attention. He didn't trust being able to make his way back on the Island if he faded into the Astral plane to get to the Greater Beast immediately, so he started physically making his way there.

Soon, he stopped, feeling the presence of a Mazoku Lord. He knelt as the Greater Beast appeared in front of him, still in a human shaped form. She must be wanting to speak to him, he realized. Her beast form didn't allow for much speech.

Xellos waited for her to speak, but nothing came forth. When he was about to lift his head, her voice rolled out, almost angry. "What of Lina Inverse?"

"She has created a new spell," he said, almost forcing the words. They should have come easily…

"And the chimera?"

Horrified, Xellos realized he couldn't speak about Zelgadis at all to her. His mouth opened, but his vocal cords paralysed themselves as he tried to form the words. Zelgadis was harmless. He wasn't finding anything. He might even want to be part of the Greater Beast's side if they worked it-

But no words came out.

The Greater Beast fell silent for a moment, calculating. Then "Kill the chimera."

"Of course," he managed, fading into the Astral plane.

Almost immediately, he felt repulsed, pushed away from Wolf Pack Island. Zelgadis had to be where he last left him. It would be quite simple - he would just give Zelgadis what he wanted: unwinding the human, golem, and brau demon from each other. With the human side as attuned to living with all three, and most likely only a fraction of what a human soul truly was to accommodate all three species in one body, it would die immediately.

When he arrived back at the inn, the party having left due to the 'bad luck' the wedding couple had just incurred, Zelgadis had calmed down enough to continue reading. Xellos did him one last favour, and burned the book in his hands before appearing in the physical realm. He didn't need to be reading such idiotic material when he died.

Predictably, Zelgadis stood, his hands already forming some sort of Astral spell. He wouldn't be surprised if it was a Ra Tilt. But it wouldn't be enough. Xellos appeared in front of him, his staff pointed right at Zelgadis's face.

Zelgadis immediately froze, anger, fear, and resignation filling the air. He must have been expecting something like this at some point, most like considering Xellos's 'betrayal' inevitable.

But as hard as he tried…

He couldn't _unmake_ the chimera. He couldn't break between the nearly invisible seams between Zelgadis's three parts and scatter them all to the winds. Xellos opened his eyes, watching Zelgadis's hands slowly move back, his lips moving in the chant for the Ra Tilt. His staff wavered slightly as he tried to hard to follow the Greater Beast's will-

Something plucked deep inside him just as Zelgadis's eyes flashed-

And Xellos phased out of the physical realm, trying to get as far away from Zelgadis as possible.

His blue eyes, human in the monstrous face, had turned _red_.

And no matter how hard he tried-

He could not returned to Wolf Pack Island.


	9. Chapter 9

It hadn't snowed yet, but the days were becoming short enough that Zelgadis knew it was coming. A black mood fell over him as he walked along the road, not wanting to deal with the snow. It would force him into more towns than he wanted, keeping him there longer if a blizzard hit. After what happened with Xellos, he didn't want to be in towns as much as he could. Xellos had tried to kill him, he knew that much, and if he was in a town when the fight finally happened…

Why hadn't Xellos killed him? Or why hadn't he even started the fight? He appeared before him, burning the book in his hands (which, was probably a good thing. Rezo's stupid cures hadn't even been that outlandish, and Zelgadis was certain whoever wrote that book was just making it up as he went along), and pointed his staff at him. Zelgadis _knew_ he had been ready to kill him, and only the knowledge they were in a town that could be caught up in the crossfire had made Zelgadis hesitate in casting the Ra Tilt.

But then Xellos had looked _surprised_ and teleported away. Had the Greater Beast told him to stay his hand?

Did they have plans for him? Plans that meant he had to be left alive?

Oh, he was going to beat it out of Xellos when he saw him next. No one used him as a pawn. Not anymore.

The temperature suddenly dropped, making Zelgadis's eyes narrow as he looked up at the sky. Yes, those were dark clouds rolling in. It wasn't cold enough that it would snow _yet_ , but the cold rain that fell wouldn't be comfortable either. He sighed, knowing he'd have to either make it to the next town quickly, or find shelter very soon.

When a loud crack sounded above him, he decided to find shelter. Thunderstorms were _not_ good weather to travel in. Thankfully, he could easily find a small cave. It smelled terrible, but he could easily see the back of the cave and saw no animals had made their homes there. Zelgadis started to make camp there just as the rain fell, wind blowing so the rain splattered inside. He sighed, moving his camp to the back of the cave. Well, he wasn't building a fire anytime soon.

Before, when he had been human, he remembered loving the feel of rain against his skin. A child, splashing in puddles with no inhibitions, no clue what awaited him. Now, he couldn't even feel the drops, just how his stone cooled by the rain. Zelgadis sat against the back of the cave, almost glaring at the storm as lightning flashed. Once upon a time, he would have been careless enough to play in that.

Now, he just watched the rain fall.

And closed his eyes, enjoying the last thing he could about rain: the sound.

In due time, his stomach growled slightly. Since Xellos had burned Lei Magnus's book, he hadn't felt hungry. He should have, he reflected. He'd only have something non-alcoholic to drink, usually coffee or tea, deigning to leave for his room when a fight almost always broke out, and the tension was so high he would rather leave before they noticed the monster sitting among them. But now… Zelgadis reached for his pack, rummaging for the bit of jerky he knew he had. Ever since the last time, he made sure he had something to eat on him.

The rain wasn't letting up. A part of him started to worry that the road would be flooded when it passed. Lastalia was the last town he had seen, over a week ago. If the road to Sapstrath was flooded and he was finally getting hungry again, he probably couldn't wait that long. He always could Raywing his way to Sapstrath, hoping he could land far enough away to not frighten the residents. Some small towns didn't see magic users that often, and with his unnatural appearance…

Puddles were forming at the mouth of the cave. Zelgadis sighed, watching the rain fall, and how the puddles weren't disturbed as drops fell onto them-

Alarm ran through him as he stood suddenly, holding his sword. Water didn't act that way.

He had just cast Astral Vine on his sword right when the puddles coalesced, forming a humanoid figure. It was ice blue, as sexless as it was nude, and with only eye shaped depressions in its otherwise featureless face. Zelgadis grit his teeth, waiting.

It was a Mazoku. It had to be.

The Mazoku stared at him for a moment, lightning wreathing its silhouette in white. Slowly, it raised a hand. Icicles started for form around it, pointed at him.

Immediately, Zelagdis dropped a hand from his sword, cupping it as fire magic formed. "Fireball!"

The spell splashed across the Mazoku, not harming it in the least as it melted the icicles around it. Zelgadis took that time to rush at it, his Astral Vine enhanced sword slicing upward. The Mazoku dodged, forcing Zelgadis out into the rain. Thankfully, his hair didn't hinder him, the wire strands remaining where they were. But now he couldn't find the Mazoku. He turned, all his senses alert. Where-

At the last second, he dodged a barrage of icicles. The Mazoku formed quickly around the falling rain, watching him. Without waiting, Zelgadis cast an Elemkia Lance, launching it directly it. With a howl, the Mazoku dissolved back into rain, and he turned again, waiting.

Something grew inside him, wanting out. His free hand twitched, wanting to cast a spell right now. Something… strong. Terrible.

He turned suddenly as he felt the Mazoku presence behind him, magic forming automatically around his hand. What it was, he didn't know. He didn't know what he was casting, only that the Mazoku suddenly backed away, almost frightened.

When he threw the magic at the Mazoku, the black and red coloured ball hit it squarely in the chest. It screamed, the magic consuming it in a thought. Zelgadis panted as he watched it die, then looked at his hand in shock. What had he just cast?

And why did it feel like the power was pulled from within _himself_?

Suddenly, he turned, feeling another presence. The power inside him built again-

And the presence disappeared.

Had he been spied on that entire time?

Zelgadis sighed, going back to the cave, drenched. He was getting just a little tired of the Mazoku machinations around him and not being able to tell what was going on.

Now he was _starving._ He closed his eyes, exhaling sharply-

Then… _something_ filled the air. It almost felt like shock, fear, despair- Zelgadis tilted his head back as he stood in the middle of the cave, overtaken by the feeling. A soft moan escaped his throat as it pressed against him, making him shiver.

Something snapped-

And Zelgadis dropped to his hands and knees, panting.

What was _that?_

* * *

Surprisingly, when he reached Sapstrath, Zelgadis wasn't hungry anymore. Or maybe he was too tired to care, having stayed awake after the Mazoku attack. Once the rain stopped, he headed back on the road, thankful it hadn't flooded. The river that flowed under the bridge had swelled rather high, but it hadn't flooded it. Almost.

The air in Sapstrath was oddly sober. Zelgadis watched as a black clad woman walked to a house with her hands full of food, and blinked as he heard soft sobbing as the door opened. He turned, noticing a nearby merchant exiting his shop, locking the door firmly. "Excuse me," he started, his voice muffled by the mask over his face. "Is there something wrong here?"

The merchant rubbed his face, sighing. "Traveller? Best be moving on."

Zelgadis blinked. There had been no malice there, only weariness and sorrow. Before he could ask, the door to the house opened again, a small family exiting, the child crying openly.

"Just lost a beloved woman," the merchant rumbled on. "She was caught in the storm and drowned. Shoulda told Lailah not to leave last night… we didn't need medicine that bad…

Last night… Zelgadis shook his head. "I'm sorry for your loss," he finally said.

"Everything's closed today," the merchant told him. "Best move on, lad."

Zelgadis nodded, turning to leave.

Last night… during the storm…

A Mazoku attack, that strange feeling that took him, and now a drowned woman. They couldn't be connected… could they?

No. That was ridiculous.

But… Zelgadis looked up at the rising sun.

Where was Xellos?


	10. Chapter 10

Another month without her period.

Lina laid down on the bed, her hand going to her stomach as she stared up at the ceiling. She didn't _feel_ pregnant. Every mother she had talked to had always talked about the same symptoms. But she hadn't ever felt like she had a low grade cold - in fact, she had felt stronger than ever. No nausea. Her pants still fit fine, and her breasts weren't tender at all. So… she couldn't be pregnant.

That just made her question why she wasn't having her period. Not having one meant something wasn't right inside her… didn't it? Lina had heard of a pirate gang nearby that had some great loot (and maybe even some magical artefacts), but they didn't have to get there _right now._ There had been a lot of storms lately, and the ocean had looked pretty treacherous when she saw it. So they would probably be staying right where they were. She had time to go to the doctor in town and have a very embarrassing conversation.

Sighing, Lina closed her eyes, seeing gold against her eyelids.

It had started to become comforting, seeing gold so much. Almost like someone was watching out for her… A part of her said she should be wary of that thought, but she didn't want to be. She hadn't felt like this in a long time. Even as it reached for her, wanted her… she was starting to enjoy it.

Slowly, she opened eyes again.

Maybe she should get ready for bed. The doctor would only be taking emergencies right now anyway. Her period problems weren't an emergency. Who knew, maybe it was just as simple as she overexerted herself somehow. With all the adventuring she did, it was possible. She hadn't known any other female adventurers like her, and she was _not_ about to ask Luna about what it was like being the Knight of Cephied in relation to her period. That couldn't end well at all.

It was probably nothing.

Lina sat up, her hands going to her belts. Time to sleep. Her clothing shed slowly before she reached for her pajamas. As the top slipped over her head, she stopped, thinking. She hadn't seen any other living being other than humans since she figured out the Fien Shot. It seemed like any beasts or Mazoku were just… ignoring her. Or… avoiding her.

Huh. Lina let the top fall into its proper position and pulled on the bottoms. Maybe she was just getting so badass that no magical creature wanted to mess with her. That was possible. She had taken out quite a few big names, and the fact she could kill something with the Lord of Nightmares' power without risking the world with a Giga Slave had probably been told to everyone by now. That would be nice. To be considered that good of a sorceress.

Yawning, she went to her pack, pulling out her brush. Her eyes closed again as she ran the bristles through her hair, gold taking her entire consciousness-

She only opened her eyes when she felt someone shaking her. Glaring, she smacked Gourry's head with the flat of the brush. "What?! And why are you in my room, you pervert."

Scowling, Gourry, rubbed his head. "You didn't come down for breakfast, so I came up to see what was wrong."

"What do you-" Lina turned her head suddenly, her breath catching as she realized it wasn't night any longer. The sun streamed in bright rays into her room, making it quite obvious just how old the room was. "I-"

"Lina, are you okay?" She looked back at Gourry's worried eyes, swallowing. "You were just sitting there."

"Yeah," she managed, putting down the brush. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."

Gourry sighed, straightening up. "Well, breakfast is over. I did order and save you some, though."

Which meant it had been sitting around for a while, either getting cold or lukewarm. Ick. But it was food and she was hungry. Very hungry, she realized. "I'll be down in a bit."

For a moment, Gourry didn't move, then he nodded. "Okay."

Lina sighed as he left, her skin tingling. That… didn't mean good things if she just zoned out like that. She just-

What was happening to her?

* * *

Gold…

Everywhere…

Lina opened her eyes, seeing nothing but gold.

She was home…

* * *

Any Mazoku worth their life knew what it felt like when the Golden Lord's power was being used. With Lina Inverse having created or perfected several spells calling upon the Golden Lord, they needed to know.

Which meant Xellos could feel it keenly when she kept crafting, kept using her new spell. Several times, he stood above her battles, poised to kill… and yet.

And yet.

Sighing, he stepped out of the physical realm, intent on returning to the Greater Beast. His Mistress.

But when he reappeared…

Zelgadis started to rouse from his doze, his eyes slitting open as the slightest bit of curiosity and alarm thrummed through him.

Xellos instantly stepped back into the Astral realm, shaken.

Why Zelgadis? Why had his thoughts of returning to the one that he belonged to taken him to Zelgadis? Even as a chimera, he wasn't Mazoku, and most definitely he wasn't the one that created him. And yet-

And yet, he couldn't find it in him to leave for Wolf Pack Island. Almost as if something had been-

No. No, it wasn't possible. Not even a Mazoku Lord could steal another Lord's servant like that. Zelgadis couldn't-

Slowly, the chimera's eyes opened fully.

Glittering ruby eyes shone in the stone skin.


	11. Chapter 11

There were bandits up ahead. Zelgadis sighed, rubbing his forehead. They weren't even trying to hide it.

It was his own fault. He had heard this road was less travelled, particularly in the winter. He should have known it was because everyone that passed had been attacked. But no, he decided to take it because it meant he wouldn't see anyone. And now he would have to deal with a group of bandits that had probably never heard of Lina Inverse and those she would travel with. He lowered his hand from his head, a slight amusement filling him at the idea of teaching them why it was a bad idea to be a bandit. That had always been fun.

His hand dropped to his sword as they stepped out of the bushes, a smile growing on his face. Time to blow some steam off. The bandits surrounded him, smiles growing on their own faces as the leader stepped forward. "Now, now," he drawled, aiming his own sword at Zelgadis. "None of that, boyo. Just hand over your coin and we'll let you live."

"I think you should be the ones worried," he informed them, dropping a hand and letting a Fireball grow in it. Oh, this was going to feel good.

The bandit leader only laughed, the noise too carefree for him to have been leading for long. Or perhaps he wasn't the leader, just the one in charge of this excursion, and rather new at it all since the others went on instant alert. Zelgadis found his grin growing more feral as he heard someone whisper about 'that Fireball crazy sorceress was this jerk related to her?' Oh, if only they knew.

Zelgadis didn't wait to let the leader command his men to attack. He instantly rushed for the leader, the Fireball in his hand going for the men next to him as he struck his target with his sword. The blade sliced easily through the clothing and flesh, blood splattering the light fall of snow on the road. Choking, the leader stumbled back, fear suddenly crossing his face. The emotion ran through the air, plucking something inside Zelgadis as he pressed his advantage. Confusion and panic rang behind him, filling him as the leader managed to block Zelgadis's next blow. "What kind of monster are you?" the leader managed, one hand holding his shoulder, as if that would keep the wound sealed.

"Your worst nightmare," Zelgadis informed him, one hand grabbing the bandit's throat. Slowly, his hand squeezed tighter and tighter, his own breath coming faster and faster as-

Realization hit him hard, chilling his blood as he let the bandit go. He didn't even have to watch the bandit try to pick himself up and have to be dragged off by the rest of the group that hadn't fled yet. Instead, he stared at his hand, horrified at how he had felt, the need to _play_ with the bandit's death, to make the bandit _fear_ -

And he would have done the same to the rest of the group, the ones that remained, slowly-

Zelgadis dropped to his knees, seeing the red against the white, and tried to ignore what had resonated inside him. How his body _ached_ for more, wanted-

He growled, standing. What was happening to him? He had _never_ felt bloodlust like that, not one that nearly bled into actual lust. What was going on?

Until this moment, he hadn't wanted Rezo back for reasons that weren't telling him his cure or, in his darkest thoughts, killing him again for what he did to him. No, this time, he wanted Rezo back to explain what his body was doing. What his mind was doing. Was it because of what he had been turned into? The inhuman parts of him overwhelming the human?

Slowly, he started walking again, his mind whirling. What was he, now?

And he was being watched. Again.

This time when he turned, the form that coalesced out of the snow was obviously inhuman. Another Mazoku, much like the water one that had attacked him back then, only formed from ice crystals. Zelgadis watched as he cast Astral Vine, eyes narrowed.

But, bafflingly, the Mazoku's feet touched the ground, kneeling in front of him, showing him… was that _respect_? Or-

When the Mazoku spoke, its voice sounded like the whisper of snow rushing across a roof. "My Mistress requests your presence."

"And who's your Mistress?" Zelgadis snapped back, feeling like he should know.

"The Mistress of the Depths, Deep Sea Dolphin."

He wasn't sure he had ever heard Deep Sea Dolphin referred as such, but… "And what does she want?"

"An alliance with the one that still holds the Ruby Eye's blood."

Zelgadis swore he felt his heart stop for a moment. Did that- no. It's couldn't mean- If he was a Shard of Shabranigdo, he would have known already, right? "What-"

"My Mistress wasn't sure at first and entered into talks with the Greater Beast, Zelas Metallium." He was certain if the Mazoku had lips, they would be curled in contempt. "What you have done to the Greater Beast's Priest revealed to my Mistress what the truth had to be."

What he had done to _Xellos_? "What are you-"

"My, my, you speak too much, Lycria." Xellos's voice sounded behind him. Zelgadis turned slightly, alarm thrumming through him as Xellos's feet touched the ground, the crunching of snow under his boots more threatening than it should be.

"The Blood of the Ruby Eye's Priest." The Mazoku - Lycria? - let disgust fill its voice.

Zelgadis's breath stuttered in his throat as Xellos stepped closer to Lycria. "That's a very interesting title you've given me," Xellos mused, the smile still on his face.

"This chimera is the last remaining Blood of the Ruby Eye," the Mazoku hissed at him. "You can feel it too, can't you, Priest? How it runs through his veins?"

Instead of answering, Xellos only held out his staff, ribbons of power wrapping around the Mazoku and exploding into flames. Zelgadis watched as the smile dropped from Xellos's face, disturb filling the lines. "Well then," Xellos mused, the smile crossing his face again as he turned to Zelgadis. "I suppose this explains a lot!"

"It explains nothing," Zelgadis growled, his arms shaking as he held his sword ready. "What did all that mean? What's going on?"

Xellos sighed. "I had wondered myself," he said, placing a finger to his chin as he looked up to the sky, as if musing to himself. "See, even with your inhuman nature, you never had the same Astral signature as a Mazoku. I would have never guessed that the Shard sealed inside of the Red Priest's eyes had influenced more about him than merely his mind!"

Horror seeped into Zelgadis's bones as he started to follow that line of thought, and starting to reject the answer forming. "What do you-"

"You're not a Mazoku, but I would have never guessed about what Rezo's blood would have done!" Xellos looked back at him, his eyes now open. "Blood holding a Shard of Shabranigdo."

"I'm not-" Zelgadis rushed him suddenly, grabbing Xellos by the throat. "You're lying! Shabranigdo has nothing to do with me! I'm not Rezo!" His hand tightened as he growled at Xellos. "I'm human. I always have been."

"No." The noise came out slightly strangled, which was not surprising. Even if the body he held in his hand wasn't real, compressing a throat, and thus vocal cords, did make a certain sound when the body tried to talk. "You've never been human. At least, not completely. Your blood has always had a thread of inhuman in it. I suppose that's why you didn't perish when you were transformed!" Xellos sighed. "If only I had known this before you forced me to become your Priest."

"Speak clearly!" Zelgadis nearly screamed in his face, shaking him. "I'm not- You're not my Priest! You said it yourself: I'm not a Mazoku. I-"

Xellos waited for him to stop shaking him. "I wish I was wrong," he said, and Zelgadis felt something inside him confirm that he was telling the truth. "But with each passing day, each time you feed off negative emotions, I can feel the call to you, and the presence of Shabranigdo strengthen."

Slowly, Zelgadis let go of him. "I'm not- feeding-"

But he knew that was a lie. He remembered how hungry he could feel… and then how he didn't need to eat when a fight broke out around him. The way he had felt during the storm, when that woman had died…

No… he couldn't-

"Your red eyes are beautiful… Zelgadis-sama."


	12. Chapter 12

Xellos hadn't known he could feel a strong negative emotion himself, but as he mused on why he couldn't return to Wolf Pack Island, why all his attempts to return to the one binding him to them, why everything he did returned him to Zelgadis, he realized he was _seething._ The chimera should have never been able to do any of this. Even if there was a hint of non-human blood in him, filtered from the Shard in Rezo's eyes to his genetic descendants, it shouldn't have been enough for this.

And yet… he watched Zelgadis scramble for a reason for why he had not stolen Xellos from his former Mistress (and even that made him angry. He had been Zelas Metallium's. Created directly from her. Being torn from her-), feeling something resonate inside him, plucking the part of him that watched and reported back. Plucked at the Priest inside him, drawing him closer to his new Master.

Zelgadis should not have had this power. It should have only made it easier for him to cast magic calling upon Ruby Eyed Shabranigdo. But something went wrong and Xellos didn't know _where_.

No. He had an idea. The book. The one he had burned in Zelgadis's hands, the one wreathed in the memory and power of Lei Magnus. It had awoken something inside Zelgadis, given him a hunger like the Mazoku.

Xellos took a step forward as Zelgadis's words spluttered to a stop, unable to keep from bending into a respective kneel, the snow crunching under him. He wasn't a Mazoku Lord, after all, Xellos reflected. The Lords only knelt to Shabranigdo and the Golden Lord. They wouldn't kneel to a chimera with the barest hint of Mazoku blood, despite the Ruby Eye's power rolling off of him. But somehow… this chimera had bound Xellos to him.

Perhaps it had been Ruby Eye Shabranigdo's blood, demanding a servant of its own?

That was… distressing.

"You're wrong," Zelgadis finally whispered, despair filling the air.

Normally, that would have him needling the chimera more, trying to get more of that delicious emotional pain. But now… he _couldn't_. The servant inside him stayed his voice, telling him to make his Master as pleased as possible.

Slowly, he stood again, coming over to Zelgadis. One hand cupped the stone cheek, the overwhelming power of his blood shivering down Xellos's body, both material and immaterial. His ruby eyes stared at Xellos, wanting confirmation that he was wrong. That he had once been human.

Instead, Xellos leaned in, trying to force a pleased response out of Zelgadis by pressing his lips to the stone skin. Zelgadis made a choked noise as Xellos kissed him, but he didn't pull back. After a moment, his hands reached up, grabbing Xellos's clothes and pulling him away. "Stop that," he whispered, his body trembling as his voice did the same, his fingers still twisted in Xellos's clothing.

"Then tell me how I can please you, Zelgadis-sama." The words came too quickly. "Do you wish for me to act as your Priest? Spy on the other Mazoku, and report back to you?"

"I want everything to go back the way they were." Something in Zelgadis's voice told Xellos that perhaps… the chimera knew. That perhaps there wasn't a way back.

"My, my." Xellos tried for nonchalance. "By watching your every move and trying to make you angry by purposely letting you get close to something that would destroy us and eliminating it just as you thought it would be your cure?"

"I don't care if I become your favourite toy again, Xellos," Zelgadis said, his voice strained, pleading. "Just… make me human again."

"Your cure doesn't exist, Zelgadis-sama."

"I know that!" Zelgadis spat at him. "I mean… make me forget. Make me think I was born human…"

Xellos cupping his cheek again. "And let you wonder why you have a hunger you can't sate unless there is pain and death around you? That goes against everything I am, Zelgadis-sama. And-" A bitter smile crossed his face here. "I am not longer the Priest of the Greater Beast, Zelas Metallium. If I 'made you human,' as you put it, I would still be your Priest."

A noise choked past Zelgadis's lips, echoing of the despair in his body. "I was never human, was I." It wasn't a question, only a confirmation. "I had wanted something I never was. This was always going to happen, wasn't it. I was going to lose my appetite, even if I hadn't been turned into a chimera, and only be able to live on emotion."

Instead of answering, Xellos let Zelgadis work through what he had just figured out. He would get there.

It wasn't as if Xellos wanted this as well. Zelgadis wasn't his favourite toy, not by far. Lina could create far more chaos than he could, and make several humans give him what he wanted. Not just that, but Lina's reactions to his own was always amusing. He enjoyed Lina far more.

But now…

Would he be forced to tell Zelgadis about Lina's endeavours in creating chaos spells? Possibly force the two together, and watch them destroy each other?

… well now. That was a way out. Perhaps the faster he pit Lina and Zelgadis against each other, the faster he would be allowed back to Wolf Pack Island. But even that thought made his stomach curdle at the idea of his Zelgadis-sama being hurt. Being killed. The thought of the Blood of the Ruby Eye being injured or killed make him almost weak. He was Zelgadis's Priest. It wasn't like how it was for Hellmaster Fibrizo, on loan and able to work behind his back. No, he was truly Zelgadis's.

So when Zelgadis spun him around, slamming him against a nearby tree, he let him. He was the Blood of the Ruby Eye's Priest, after all. The Shabranigdo within Zelgadis forced him complacent, even as Zelgadis pressed his body up against his physical projection, whispering despair filled words against the faux fabric.

It spurred him forward, lips against Zelgadis's again.

This time, Zelgadis clung to him, as if it would be a comfort.


	13. Chapter 13

Gourry turned as Lina stopped, her eyes cast to one side. She knew she shouldn't stop, since they would only get to Sapstrath before night fell if they kept moving. But something just felt so _off._ Frowning, she wandered off the path, the very fine layer of snow under her feet crunching with each step. She could almost smell something wrong…

But as she walked towards a small cave, she couldn't see a single thing wrong. Yeah, there was a scorch mark in the cave, but that could have been made by someone not knowing how to light a fire effectively with magic. So nothing should have been off. But as she surveyed the surrounding area, Lina felt there was just something wrong. Carefully, she walked around, trying to figure it out. Absently, she lowered one hand, Chaos magic coming to her hand. It just felt… like she might have to do that.

"Hey, Lina?" Gourry's voice filtered from the road. "Can we get moving? It's looking like it wants to snow again."

She should have stayed at Lastalia. At least then she would have a kickass inn to stay at with fantastic food. But they would have kicked the two of them out quickly. While Lina would have holed up somewhere for the winter, the amount of energy they burned as a sorceress and swordsman would eat any place they stayed at out of all their food, unless they stayed at a city like Seyruun. Not to mention, she'd get bored after a few days and would want to travel again. She tried wintering at a large city shortly after she parted ways with Naga. It had lasted two days before she was on the road again.

But if looked like it wanted to snow, she would have to get moving. She shook her hand, letting the magic drain from her fingers, going back to the road.

Then paused.

She felt crazy in thinking this, but it almost felt like someone had cast a _Dragon Slave._ But that kind of feeling would only coming if she had watched someone cast it, or she was there in the direct aftermath. Not only that, but she wasn't aware of another living person that could cast the Dragon Slave other than herself, Sylphiel, and Pokota. And she was pretty certain Sylphiel and Pokota hadn't left Taforashia. There was still a lot to be done for a priestess, and Pokota wasn't leaving his kingdom unless it was absolutely necessary.

Plus, there was no destruction typical of the Dragon Slave anywhere around the area. There should have been a crater if that was the case. It was almost like the power of Shabranigdo had been cast here… but not the Dragon Slave.

Oh man, were people coming up with new spells that called on that jerk? That was asking for trouble.

She finally returned to the road, her arms crossed as she thought. What was going on?

The back of her neck prickled and she spun, Gourry's sword clearing the sheath as she did so. Which was a good thing, as what formed out of the snow was very obviously a Mazoku. It stared at the two of them - at least, Lina thought it stared. It didn't have eyes.

As sudden as it appeared, it dissolved into a mist of snow. Oh, she didn't like that. If they had just been spied on, everything about this situation would be taken back to the Mazoku's master, and they could have an even _bigger_ fight on their hands than they wanted.

"Maybe we should find a place on the road to stop for the night, Gourry," Lina said quietly.

"Huh? Why?"

Gold and black flickered at her hand as an eyebrow twitched. "Because, you idiot, if that Mazoku shows back up with orders to kill us instead of spying, or the one the Mazoku answers to decides to stop by, we might be in a really bad place to fight in the middle of a town!"

"Oh." Gourry looked up at the sky. "I thought it was because we're about to get heavy snow fall and you didn't think we could make it to Sapstrath."

Lina looked up, and groaned. Yeah, it looked like some major snow was coming. "I saw a cave back this way. Come on."

Maybe she'd be able to investigate what she felt as they spent the night in the cave.

* * *

It almost felt like they were following that new Black magic as they travelled. Oh, how Lina did not like that. If it really was a sorcerer coming up with a new spell that called upon Shabranigdo, that had to be a very powerful sorcerer. Not just any third-rate sorcerer could use the Dragon Slave, and creating new spells like that meant this person was incredibly smart. Maybe as smart as she was.

A flash of something that didn't belong made her head turn-

"Fireball!"

Hey, she said she would Fireball Xellos when she saw him next.

Xellos sighed as it hit him, looking down at his fire ruined clothing. "Lina-san! That was rude!"

"You know why you deserve it." She crossed her arms. "So. What's up, Xellos?"

His eyes slit open, showing just the barest hint of purple iris. A shiver picked its way down her back as she stared at him, the ever present smile on his face turning sinister. Lina instantly dropped a hand, pulling Chaos magic to it. She didn't feel hostility or bloodlust, but she had a feeling that this might be the end of Xellos being friendly towards her and her friends. Something had changed, and now, he was their enemy. Had the Greater Beast finally asked Xellos to kill them? Or was he on loan again, and the person currently plucking his strings demanding their deaths?

His eyes dropped to the black and gold at her hand. "My, Lina-san," he nearly purred. "Calling upon the Golden Lord so quickly? Don't you fear what would happen if you called upon too much of Her?"

"This isn't the Giga Slave," she growled. "Your Mistress finally wanting us dead?"

"Oh no. I doubt my Master will ever request your deaths." Lina did not like the smile on Xellos's lips at the moment. "He's quite attached to all of you, after all."

"So you're on loan again. Great." Lina didn't relax. While it could be like how it was with Fibrizo, with Xellos, with the Mazoku Priest working behind Fibrizo's back to undermine him, she also knew Xellos would have to follow the commands of whoever he was working for. "Who're you working for this time?"

"Who you are following. The Blood of the Ruby Eye."

The Blood of… "WHO?!"

"Incidentally…" Xellos turned his head slightly to one side, then looked back at them, eyes fully open. "You could easily kill him and it is my job as the Priest to the Blood of the Ruby Eye to stop you before you do so."

"Or you could do what you always do and backstab everyone." She raised an eyebrow.

"My, my, Lina." His smile hardened, brittle. "It sounds like you don't want to die."

"And it sounds like you don't want to kill us."

Xellos only inclined his head slightly. So he didn't want to kill them, but the Mazoku he was currently working for (whoever the Blood of the Ruby Eye was. Had to be a title she hadn't known before for someone she already knew) wanted them dead.

Then he turned towards the south, clicking his tongue. "You get into so much trouble by yourself, my Master," he murmured just loud enough for her to hear, and disappeared.

Lina didn't let the Fien Shot at her hand dissipate for the entire day.


	14. Chapter 14

Today was a bad day, Zelgadis decided as he sailed through the air, his clothing singed and ears ringing.

He couldn't have thought of a way it would have been even a halfway decent day. Waking up, his stomach growled at him. But after talking with Xellos… it wasn't really his stomach, was it? No, it was a demonic hunger that he always had. The disgust at that thought had stayed with him all day, distracting him as he walked. Had he not been distracted, well…

He wouldn't have been surprised and now blasted backwards.

It wasn't a spell. He could smell the gunpowder. But it didn't make it less annoying to have the explosion deafen him momentarily and ruin his clothing. Zelgadis bounced slightly as he landed on his back, the air forced out of his lungs. Slowly, he sat up, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Was it bandits? This close to town?

"Rissa!" A scolding male voice rang out to his left, a bit away but coming closer. "What did I say 'bout you leavin' your little traps around?"

"Papa!" Zelgadis sat up slowly at the female voice. "We have to be careful. What if _they_ come back?"

Did they have a bandit problem? Zelgadis made sure his face was covered and the only damage to his clothing was scorch marks. He could offer his skills for a price. The money he got would help pay for the upcoming inns. And- he felt ill at the thought, but the bandits he would encounter would feed him with the pain and fear they would feel as they fought him.

Xellos had said he wasn't a Mazoku, but that hunger certainly _sounded_ like one.

He stood just as a woman slid down the snowy bank. And wow, that certainly was a woman. The height of femininity. And yet… Zelgadis felt nothing as she smoothed her coat over her generous breasts and dusted snow off her breeches. Was that more hints he was less human than he realized? Than he wanted to be? He knew before his transformation, his pants would have been a little tight at the sight of her. And yet…

The woman looked over at him, and smiled sheepishly. "You okay?" she asked, coming over to him. "You look a little crispy there, mister…?"

"Zelgadis."

She tilted her head. "That's a nice name. You come from further in?" Her eyes widened. "You a traveller? You heard of _magicians_? Do they really breathe fire? Do-"

"Rissa!" An older man slid down the bank as well, a disapproving look on his face as he hefted his axe. "You're gonna nearly blow a poor man up then bury him with questions?"

"Sorry," she muttered. "Jus'- A magician would fix our problems."

"What sort of problems are you having?" Zelgadis asked.

Both Rissa and her father looked at him, taking in his clothing and sword. "You a merc?" the father finally asked.

"I've been known to help people for money."

Rissa raised a gloved hand to her mouth, thoughtful. Then, she nodded. "Then you can help me."

Her father turned to her. "You will not do anything other than take down these traps, Rissa!"

"But Papa!"

Another explosion sounded near them, and Zelgadis pulled his sword as Rissa reached into her sleeves. Interesting.

"Rissa!"

"That's not from the road," Rissa murmured. "That one-" Her eyes widened, and silver flashed as she pulled daggers free from her sleeves. "That one's the cave!"

Her father swore loudly. "Get behind me, Rissa. Boyo, you better be as good with that sword as you look!"

That was all the warning they got as a swarm of four legged beasts - seven in total - rushed over the hill, kicking up a cloud of snow. White and red fur swirled along their bodies, with demonic red eyes burning in their sockets. Zelgadis wanted to snort at the red eyes, knowing he had a pair suddenly in his own head. Instead, he cast an Astral Vine on his sword before sweeping it up to meet the lunging beast. The enhanced metal sliced easily through it, killing it instantly. Rissa's father swung his axe next to him, beheading another. Rissa herself engaged a beast, kiting it around until she could duck under a swipe and slit its throat. Zelgadis turned back to the other four, raising a hand to cast Fireball. The explosion caught two of them, making one of the remaining raise its head and howl.

The two killed by Rissa and her father stood again. It was quite disturbing to see the beast walk around without a head, and Zelgadis felt ill he could feed off Rissa and her father's unease at that. But now, there was only one dead: The one Zelgadis had killed with his sword.

He narrowed his eyes.

"Elmekia Flame!"

The direct hit instantly dropped the one Rissa had originally killed. It didn't rise again.

Mazoku, then? Zelgadis narrowed his eyes as the beheaded one dashed at Rissa, a hand coming back… only to feel something great and powerful grow in his hand. Not an Elmekia Flame… it came from within. It came… from the barest hint of Shabranigdo that resided in his veins. It grew and grew as the beast pinned Rissa, her daggers coming up to try to force the beast off her as another came to finish the job, a third sneaking up behind her father to pounce on him.

Zelgadis tried to keep it in. If he didn't keep it in, it would be a Dragon Slave. It would have the same destructive power. He would kill Rissa. He would kill her father. He would-

Something broke inside him.

His head tossed back as the power exploded, red and black becoming his entire world. For the briefest moment, he could feel Rissa's utter terror at the realization at what she had been talking to, at what she wanted to hire. He could feel her father's hatred for Zelgadis, and the wish he could have been the one to kill him. And then, he felt their deaths, shivering along his skin, inside his skin, filling him-

When he opened his eyes, the red and black was gone. No, the only colour he could see was purple.

"You get in so much trouble alone, Zelgadis-sama," Xellos told him, eyes open to stare at him.

Zelgadis stared at him for a moment, then growled, grabbing his collar, driving him down to the ground, made glassy and scorched by the power wielded by the chimera. He didn't even know what he was doing anymore. His body moved on its own, one hand wrapping possessively around Xellos's throat as the other ripped the faux fabric off his legs. Xellos only helped Zelgadis, only helped his Master as he helped take off Zelgadis's pants and spread his legs.

Foreplay was foreign here. One quick thrust sheathed Zelgadis, and Xellos tilted his head back, eyes still on the chimera. Zelgadis built a brutal pace immediately, watching Xellos the hand on his Priest's throat slowly tightened.

This wasn't about sex, he realized suddenly as Xellos watched him steadily. Xellos was purposely submitting to him, to his whim. Purposely being his Priest. Purposely showing… he would do what he wanted.

Zelgadis buried his face against Xellos's clothed shoulder, gasping as he came. Then, he raised his head, staring into Xellos's eyes.

"Do whatever you can to make sure I don't do this again," he whispered.

Slowly, Xellos smiled.

"As you wish, Zelgadis-sama."


	15. Chapter 15

Grease ran down Lina's chin as she bit into the chicken leg, ripping off a chunk and chewing furiously. "I just don't get it," she grumbled, shaking the leg as she swallowed the bite in her mouth. "What was Xellos talking about? I've never heard of the Blood of the Ruby Eye."

Gourry didn't answer, and Lina smacked the hand reaching for her second chicken leg with the one in her hand. "Lina!"

"Don't steal my food. Anyway-" Lina took another bite. "The way Xellos talked about this Blood of the Ruby Eye was weird."

"Do you think this guy stole Xellos for good?"

Lina frowned. "That should be impossible. The way Xellos was made… The Greater Beast had to make him from her own power. So he shouldn't-" Lina stopped, her blood freezing in her veins at a thought. At what a certain Ruby Eye had said at his rebirth… "No. It can't be."

"Lina?"

"When Shabranigdo first was reborn… we were offered the choice of death or servitude to him." Lina lowered the half eaten chicken leg, looking out over the inn, at the sleepy travellers ready to head to their beds. "… another Shard had to be reborn. That has to be the answer."

When she looked back at Gourry, his eyes were almost comically large. "Doesn't that usually mean the world is going to end or something?!"

"Well, we're not going to let it!" Lina snapped back. "We'll find this 'Blood of the Ruby Eye' that Xellos is following and-" The chicken leg in her arm sliced through the air, and she grinned. "Third time's the charm, right?"

Gourry nodded, firm. "But… how are we going to find this guy?"

"I've been feeling this asshole for a while. We'll just follow that feeling." The next bite took off a good chuck of chicken off the leg and took Lina a while to chew and swallow. "I'll cast Raywing so we'll get there sooner," she informed Gourry, watching him sigh at that. "So eat up. Once we're done, we should get started."

"We can't even get some sleep?"

Lina shook her head. "I don't want what happened before to happen to this town." The amount of death… destruction… no. She didn't want that.

"My, my… Lina-san, even as you are, you're still so conscious of humanity."

She couldn't help herself. Lina stood suddenly, the chicken leg hitting the ground next to her upturned chair as she turned to Xellos. "What are you doing here?!"

Smiling, Xellos wagged his finger next to his face. "Wouldn't you like for me to say it's a secret?"

Confused, Lina grabbed her chair and set it back upright, sitting back down. "What do you mean?"

He spread his hands, almost benevolent. "My Master wishes to see you, Lina-san." Here, he paused, tilting his head as his eyes opened slightly. "Lina-san, you…"

"What?"

His eyes opened completely, and Gourry reached for a sword that currently laid against the wall as Lina felt Chaos magic come to her fingers. That wasn't the look of their sometimes ally. That was someone about to attack, about to _kill_ them-

Then Xellos smiled, his eyes closing again. "I think you would be the perfect person to see my Master," he only said cryptically before disappearing.

"What a creep," Lina grumbled, looking mournfully at the fallen chicken leg, then at the cooling mound of food. Oh well, food was food. She went to dig into the rest of the food, then paused as Gourry didn't follow. "What's up, Gourry?"

"Your eyes…" Gourry leaned forward. "When you started casting your spell, they changed colour. They're _yellow_ now."

* * *

He wasn't about to delude himself. If Zelgadis were to die, Xellos would go with him. Without realizing it, Zelgadis had entwined their lives together so tightly that it could not be undone. Xellos wouldn't magically become Zelas Metallium's again. That bond had been severed.

But if Zelgadis wanted to die… well, he could certainly do that. It wouldn't be difficult. Lina's eyes were turning golden from her extended use of Chaos magic. If she had mastered Chaos magic that well, then taking out a chimera with Ruby Eye's blood running through his veins… it should be no matter for her. And very simply, Zelgadis should injure her enough that she wouldn't live past the encounter.

When Xellos shimmered back into the physical plane, Zelgadis was still searching along the destruction he had created. For the bones of the two he had killed, Xellos assumed. He was fairly certain Zelgadis didn't care much about the woman or her father as beings, but more what they represented. People he could have helped, a tie to humanity in a way. Instead, he had let the power of Shabranigdo inside him loose, and the two had been slaughtered by Zelgadis himself. And now he looked for some sign of them, for something he could bury and put his mind to some sort of rest.

How pathetic. How _human._

But at the same time… Xellos touched Zelgadis's shoulder, and he slumped, a choked sob coming to his throat. "I didn't-" he whispered, not yet turning to Xellos.

The pain radiating off Zelgadis should have fed Xellos beautifully. Instead, it tasted sour, curdling inside him. "It's only natural, Zelgadis-sama," he said, his words calm and frank. "They didn't suffer."

"I know," he whispered, his voice thick with unshed tears. "I just-"

Xellos didn't speak.

Finally, Zelgadis inhaled deeply, turning to him. His ruby eyes glittered beautifully in the light as he stared at Xellos. He reached up, cupping his Priest's chin. "You'll stop me next time, right?" he whispered. "I don't- I don't want to be a-"

"You won't," Xellos assured him, remembering Lina's conclusions and his own words to the girl.

One way or another, Zelgadis would not be bothered by these thoughts again.

One way or another, Xellos wouldn't have to worry about it either.


	16. Chapter 16

As Zelgadis walked, his mind dwelled on the devastation left behind. He had only found the handle of an axe, the remaining hint of a father and daughter living next to beasts trying to kill them at every turn. Had those beasts been Mazoku? Perhaps. Or had they only been magical constructs, invulnerable to normal strikes? Perhaps. He wouldn't know now. All he could do was bury that handle, remembering how scared, how protective that father had been. All he could do was hope the spirit of his daughter would stay by her father's side, even if she would never forgive Zelgadis himself for killing her father.

At least, in death, the two of them would not have to worry about those beasts coming for them.

Unlike Zelgadis. He had thought he had turned into a monster by his great-grandfather, Rezo… only to learn very recently that he had always been a monster. How long had he been feeding off the emotions of others?

Why had Rezo taken him in after his parents died? Zelgadis felt the question hit him, more chilling than a bucket of cold water. Had the Shard sealed inside his eyes called to the blood inside Zelgadis's veins? He knew he had been irresistibly drawn to Rezo the instant he had seen him. When he had seen Zelgadis, had Rezo felt the same way? Drawn to him, blood to blood? The darkness hiding in his eyes knowing Zelgadis would aid him, in his rebirth, no matter what?

Zelgadis gripped his tunic above his heart, almost feeling betrayed by the thought. Had Rezo ever felt anything for his own family? Any sort of familial love? Or had he seen them has tools to be used then discarded?

To that end, how often had he only seen Lina and the others as mere tools? How often had he been his great-grandfather?

It was starting to snow again.

* * *

And how Lina _hated_ travelling in the snow. Thankfully, Raywing meant she wasn't trudging through steadily rising snow, but it also meant she wasn't getting any warmer.

It also meant Gourry was clinging to her legs, letting out the occasional whimper of fear. "Oh, come on," Lina chided. "You think you'd be used to this by now."

"I don't think I'll ever get used to something like this," Gourry said mournfully, screwing his eyes tightly shut as he grasped her legs tighter. "Humans were meant to be on the _ground_ , Lina!"

"Well, this is the fastest way to get to the Blood of the Ruby Eye, so suck it up," she told him, her tone dismissive but she kept an eye on him. She wanted to reach down and comfort him, but they didn't have time for that. They had to get to this newly awaken Shard before it regained too much power and destroyed the world. She had to focus on the beacon ahead. Maybe after they took care of this.

L-sama. Would this ever be done? Was this their life now? What would be next, killing the Lord of Nightmares Herself? Lina closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. No, she couldn't think like that. Eventually, things would quiet down. She'd go home, and hold her head high as she looked her sister in the eyes. The idea of being able to look _Luna Inverse_ in the eyes after what happened made her shiver, but even Luna would have to admit that killing several Mazoku, which included Shabranigdo (twice! And she was going to defeat him for the third time now!), was impressive and… well it had to excuse the stuff Lina did as a kid, right? One day, she'd go home, introduce Gourry to her family, and… she'd probably not stay home. Not at first. But she'd have a home to go back to when she got tired. And when the wanderlust finally shook itself out of her feet, she settle down with Gourry at Zephilia.

Eventually, life would work itself out that she wouldn't have to be Lina Inverse, Bandit Killer, the sorceress that saved the world more times than the world knew, and she could just be… Lina. Eventually.

Eventually.

* * *

Zelgadis turned slightly. The snow obscured his sight, but… what was he feeling? It almost felt like… his eyes widened. Was Lina nearby, casting the Giga Slave? He cursed, spinning completely around and running towards the feeling. It probably wasn't the sane decision, but if Lina felt the need to cast the Giga Slave, something wasn't right.

And he wouldn't deny a dark part of him wanted to seek the sorceress out… for a reason possibly deadly to her.

* * *

Lina swore under her breath as the feeling of Shabranigdo came closer, rushing to meet them. She started to land, letting Gourry come to his feet and pull his sword so they both would be ready. If it wanted to meet them halfway, they needed to be ready for it.

But a monster never arrived. Instead, a man came to a stop in front of them, the cream coloured clothes and inhuman skin and hair declaring him a familiar, friendly chimera. Zelgadis's chest rose and fell rapidly as his glittering ruby eyes widened-

Wait.

* * *

Lina wasn't casting the Giga Slave. She was just… landing, ending a Raywing. As Zelgadis watched, both Lina and Gourry relaxed as they saw him panting for air, not from the air but the panic that Lina could have been fighting something that required the Giga Slave, the panic she could have destroyed the world- and then Lina tensing.

As usual, Gourry looked between the two of them, his eyes wide and guileless, before settling on Zelgadis. "Why are your eyes different, Zel?" he finally asked, innocent.

"Because he made a pact," Lina growled. "For your cure?"

Zelgadis winced. There wasn't a cure. There would never be a cure for what ran through his veins since birth. "A cure never existed, Lina. It's not going to exist, and I would never make a pact to make it exist."

"Then why do I feel like Shabranigdo is standing right in front of me if you didn't make a pact?"

Zelgadis met her golden eyes, his heart seizing at that sight. "Why are your eyes as gold as the Lord of Nightmares?"

Her breath visibly stopped.

* * *

Her eyes weren't- He couldn't be insinuating that he- that she-

"Um, Lina- what are you two talking about?"

"He's saying we've both used so much magic of a certain type that it's bleeding into us and changing us. That doesn't make sense…" Lina shook her head. "Zel, you avoided Black magic as much as possible."

Zelgadis looked away.

A chill ran down Lina's spine.

* * *

He hadn't been casting Black magic. He _was_ Black magic now. Slowly, he reached out, silently calling for Xellos, knowing his voice wouldn't allow him to say what he was now. He couldn't say it to Lina. His voice would fail him before he told the woman he helped kill his family, helped kept his family from destroying the world, helped save the world.

He couldn't say it to the woman he wanted to kill because he helped her save the world.

A gloved hand took his as Xellos formed in the physical world, summoned by his will. "You called, Blood of the Ruby Eye?"

He could tell Lina felt so betrayed it manifested as illness. It hit him hard, feeding the Shabranigdo blood inside him, making him stronger. He kept his eyes averted, waiting.

* * *

The pieces fit together faster than Lina wanted them. Blood, family. Ruby Eye, Shabranigdo. Shabranigdo, Rezo. Rezo's family, Zelgadis. Blood of the Ruby Eye, Zelgadis. Xellos's new Master was Zelgadis. But how that worked- Zelgadis's eyes were now red. Ruby red. Was Zelgadis a Shard? Was he awakening as a Shard? He was keeping ahold of himself well if that was the case. She could tell by the way he stood and the way he didn't look at her that he felt shame about it. At least, she thought he had shame about it. Had he always lied to her? Was he actively lying now?

"Huh? Xellos, what do you mean?"

Lina twitched a few times, grabbed Gourry's hair, and yanked him down to yell in his ear. "The guy we're after is Zelgadis! And he's probably a Shard of Shabranigdo!"

"Ow! Lina!" Gourry pried himself free. "That doesn't make sense. Why would he help kill Rezo if he was a Shard?"

"Because he isn't!" Xellos said merrily. "He only has the blood of Rezo, tainted by Shabranigdo. It makes for interesting times, such as stealing a Priest to be his own eyes and ears, learning how to feed on darker emotions and death, and even destroying a father and daughter he had led to think he would help!"

At his words, Zelgadis looked ill.

It only told Lina his words were true, and bile rose in her throat. Why would Zelgadis…?

* * *

Xellos's smile stretched as he felt horror from all three of the humans. Almost. Lina was almost to her breaking point, ready to cast a spell at Zelgadis. He could feel the blood of Shabranigdo inside Zelgadis already lashing inside its cage, wanting to kill the woman that killed a Shard. Xellos could focus on Gourry, taking him out of the fight easily. Though, he could tell he wouldn't be allowed to kill the blond. Zelgadis wouldn't let him.

Oh well.

"It was quite impressive! Perhaps in time, I would love to see what Zelgadis-sama could do consciously."

Lina's golden eyes rounded in horror.

"You mean that was done _unconsciously_?!"

* * *

Zelgadis would only lose himself more and more. And if already manipulated a father and daughter into thinking he'd help before killing them, maximizing their betrayal and fear before their deaths… she narrowed her eyes. He might not be a Shard, but he would be as dangerous as one. Chaos magic came to her fingers, and she raised her hand. "I'm sorry, Zel," she whispered.

His eyes went wide, and for a brief moment, resignation filled his face before his head tilted downward and a dark smile crossed his lips.

A red and black ball formed in his hand.

Her Fien Shot went wide as he launched what could only be a mini Dragon Slave at her, forcing her to dodge at the last second. She grit her teeth, watching Xellos engage Gourry as she slid to a stop in the snow. This wouldn't be good. She would get cold. Zelgadis wouldn't.

Time to fix her Fien Shot, _now._

Faster cast time… of course. She raised her hand again, adjusting the size of the spell. Smaller, but the fire rate was more rapid. "Fien Barrage!"

Zelgadis dodged, avoiding the snow bank on the side of the road. The miniature Dragon Slave came back to his hand, and he tossed it at her. With a snap of his fingers, the ball broke apart into six smaller balls, and Lina felt horror freeze her limbs. She couldn't dodge that! Recklessly, she cast Fien Barrage at them, hoping that would stop them.

Well, it caused them to detonate before they hit her.

Lina flew backwards, landing in a snowdrift. She found herself half buried, the snow falling in on her as she tried to catch her breath. Finally, she sat up, just in time for Zelgadis to reach down, his eyes glittering with inhuman glee as he hauled her up. She coughed, the motion painful as a large amount of blood came out of her mouth. Damn it. She couldn't do this alone. Even against Zelgadis, she would need…

"Aren't we friends?" she asked weakly, trying to smile.

Agony blossomed through her stomach. Slowly, Lina looked down.

Zelgadis's hand was buried in abdomen.

As her eyes slid closed, Lina raised her hand, pressing it against his shoulder. It felt like Someone was taking her hand, taking her magic, and threading it-

Zelgadis howled, and Lina fell, fell, fell…

Suddenly, something picked her up, and she swore she heard Pokota's voice, Sylphiel's scream, and warmth, warmth, warmth…

* * *

Xellos returned to Zelgadis's side, frowning. He had felt his Master's will as Lina fell, and it disgusted him. Save the sorceress. Thankfully, Sylphiel was still in Taforashia, and it made it easier to bring Lina to one that would save her life without any problems.

And now… Xellos felt his own power waning as he stared down at Zelgadis. Chaos power ran in threads through his soul, pulling him apart in the way Xellos had wanted to do at one point. He hadn't thought Lina could be so precise, but… he had a feeling it wasn't Lina who threaded Chaos magic as such, but the Golden Lord who guided her hand.

His Master would be torn apart by Chaos magic, and all he could do would to be to watch and fade with him.

Slowly, he bent down, stroking Zelgadis's stone cheek. "I've done as you asked," he told him sweetly. "You will never harm another again."

Zelgadis laughed weakly, the noise quickly fading. Xellos watched as his own hand started to fade from view as Zelgadis's body shut down. "Will Lina and Gourry be okay?"

"They're in Taforashia."

"Good. Good-"

Xellos could hear Zelgadis's heart stop, and his breath ease out.

And the Chaos magic depart from his body as his heart beat again, milky white eyes opening to the scene before him.


	17. Chapter 17

Her sleep had been completely void of any dreams since her fight with Zelgadis.

Lina lifted her hand, looking at the slight burn pattern there. No one got to see it but her, since it was normally hidden under her gloves. But now, the magic she had used… no, that the Lord of Nightmares had guided her hand to use had left its mark, a fine web that wove up to her wrist. A mark of magic she should have never used.

Or maybe a mark of the Lord of Nightmares Herself. Lina didn't know.

What she did know was there wasn't any talk of any sort of "Blood of the Ruby Eye" going around anymore. Hell, she didn't even see Xellos anymore. Though, if she had killed Zelgadis with that last bit of Chaos magic, she probably killed Xellos. Kill the Master, kill the Servant. Maybe. Damn it. She wished she knew how tightly Zelgadis had bound Xellos to him. Maybe Xellos was out there, back in the Greater Beast's hands. She wouldn't deny that would be really useful. Xellos had done a lot to help them when he was her Priest, and even as Zelgadis's Priest, he had saved both her and Gourry's lives. One last bit of loyalty.

Or maybe Zel had one last bit of humanity left in him, Lina thought, touching her stomach.

It had been _close_. Sylphiel's Resurrection had nearly failed. But now, in the spring months, Lina was making her slow way out of Taforashia. Pokota made noises like he was about to kick her out, but she knew he was worried for her health when he didn't actually do it and forced her back to bed when she looked like she was about to pass out.

She should have been ready earlier, Lina reflected. But Sylphiel couldn't spend all her energy healing Lina. Just like how it had been in Nostos, if the healer exhausted herself on one little sorceress, then when something big happened and they needed Sylphiel… no, Lina wasn't on Death's Doorstep now. She could build up her strength normally, and use her own healing spells.

And now, make her way out of Taforashia.

She slipped her glove on and left the room, meeting Gourry. Breakfast had already been eaten, and the cook was still in wide eyed shock over how much they had devoured. The two of them nodded at each other and started out, quiet.

Gourry stayed close to her side, ready to catch her if she fell. It pissed her off, but she couldn't help but understand the practicality of it. She was so far from being in top shape it wasn't funny. But she also couldn't stay here. She had to get back on the road.

"What do you think happened to Zelgadis?" Gourry asked, finally breaking the silence between them.

"I don't know," she said quietly. The spell She had guided Lina to cast could have ripped Zelgadis apart. But, as Lina had learned from fighting Fibrizo, no one knew what She would do. The Lord of Nightmares could have easily just taken the part that was Shabranigdo from Zelgadis and neutralized him that way. She didn't know.

She wished she did.

* * *

They were still selling the stupid sun trinkets at Aldahi. Lina frowned at them, remembering what Xellos did while she was in the bath. Asshole. She should have done more than Fireball him when she saw him the next time she saw him.

But there was a restaurant nearby. Lina turned, wobbling slightly as the long day caught up to her. She cursed under her breath as Gourry caught her elbow, steadying her. Thankfully, he didn't say anything about it, only looked down at her with worried eyes.

"I'm fine," she assured him, but she didn't remove her arm from his grasp. Instead, she leaned into him, her heart feeling sick. Gourry, seeming to understand, wrapped his arms around her. She closed her eyes, her sharp ears hearing his heartbeat under his armour.

After a moment, she pulled back, taking a deep breath. "Right." She nodded. "Dinner."

"You feeling okay now?"

"Yup! Let's go!" Lina pumped a fist, and started down to the restaurant.

Only to stop as a couple exited. Young men, one guiding the other gently. Lina's hand instantly dropped, ready to cast a spell if she needed to at the cloak and mask covering rock skin, shiny hair, at the Mazoku Priest by his side-

But Xellos only shook his head, clicking his tongue. "Lina-san, you would make a fantastic Mazoku, attacking a newly blind man like this."

Lina blinked as Zelgadis lifted his head. "I feel like I should know that name," Zelgadis said softly, almost as if struggling to speak, his hand tightening on Xellos's hand.

"It's only part of your old life, Zelgadis-sama," Xellos said soothingly. "Come. Let us retire to the inn." Xellos speared Lina with a glance, his eyes open, as if saying he would speak with her later.

"Xellos." Lina reached out, grabbing his sleeve. "What's-"

"Your Chaos magic is quite interesting. I would say you can't remove one's heritage from their blood… but you certainly can remove memories. And keep memories related to that past from being made. No matter how hard I try, Lina-san, he doesn't remember you. Or Gourry-san. Or Amelia-san. Or even me. I am merely a voice, a hand to him, and he cannot put a name to me." The smile on Xellos's face made her shiver. "I will be his Priest until his mortal death, Lina-san. And he is still mortal, can still die a mortal death. But he is no longer a threat. He is… no longer Zelgadis."

Lina swallowed. "That… is there anything that… I can't let that be true! I have to-!"

The smile on Xellos's face was truly terrifying. "Then beseech the Golden Lord to reverse it. But this is what you wanted, isn't it, Lina-san? For Zelgadis-sama not to be a threat?" He turned to Zelgadis, almost tenderly brushed his wire hair aside. "It was what he wanted. To pretend to be human. And now the play will continue until his body shuts down for the final time and his soul returns to where it came."

Emotion choked her, and Gourry clasped her shoulder, reminding her he was there. "Can we at least talk to Zelgadis when we see him?" Gourry asked.

"I'm right here," Zelgadis grumbled.

"Of course," Xellos said smoothly. "But don't expect him to remember what you told him the next time you see him. Your adventures are tightly tied to his inhuman nature, and does not lend to the play he is human. But certainly. You can speak with him."

Lina looked up at Gourry, who nodded at her. She looked over at Zelgadis, at his closed eyes, and swallowed again. "Hey, Zel," she said, trying to keep her voice peppy. "I'm Lina Inverse. I- well, know you from before. I guess you heard that already."

"And you heard I don't remember you," he said tartly.

She winced. "Yeah. I just… are you happy?"

Zelgadis looked away, his face upturned to the sky. Then he inhaled. "Yeah. I feel like something that had bothered me for so long has been taken away and everything's okay now."

Lina nodded, something loosening inside her. It wasn't a cure… but he didn't care anymore. She turned to Xellos. "And you! Take care of him."

"My, my." Xellos let his eyes close, the smile losing its sinister edge. "Of course, Lina-san!"

"Or… else, I'll set Amelia on you!"

She was pretty certain the shiver he made was not faked.

This wasn't the way she wanted Zelgadis to have his cure, at the cost of his memories of them, of himself, and of nearly killing Lina in a Shabranigdo induced bloodlust. But in a way, it was a cure. He didn't know what he looked like, and it didn't bother him anymore. He might still have to feed off emotions (she'd have to ask Xellos that at some point), but she had faith that Xellos wouldn't let that go too far.

Slowly, she took a deep breath.

"Good luck, Zel."

And she turned to enter the restaurant with Gourry.

* * *

In the brief moment, before the memory of a girl that spoke fire in his head faded to nothing, Zelgadis said to a black world, "You too, Lina."


End file.
